Rachel's Class
by RUMad
Summary: Rachel is a young unfulfilled teacher who is in an unsatisfactory relationship with a married man. She suddenly finds herself drawn to one of her female pupils. What would happen if she were to act on these feelings?
1. Chapter 1

**This is based on an episode of True Love (a BBC 5 part miniseries they showed months ago) Thought it could be a good two-shot :/**

**Posted: 1/9/12**

* * *

Chapter One

"Okay class" The short brunette stood in front of her senior class at McKinley high in Lima Ohio "Class!" she raised her voice to try and get them quiet but the students ignored her. A few glanced at her, finding it entertaining as she got stressed.

They'd only been back from the Christmas break for 3 days and Rachel was already wishing for the next week break from school. _Just 7 more weeks_ she was counting in her head

"Class" she yelled even louder. This time she startled a few, she didn't yell that loud often, but today she couldn't help it, she just wanted the day to be over with. It actually shook her a little that they'd actually shut up "Right, we're starting your new drama projects today; the theme is 'True Love'"

She heard a scoff and what sounded like 'boring' from one of the boys at the back of the room. She assumed it was Kurt, he was always complaining that he was never challenged, but she was just sticking to the teaching schedule, like she was supposed to.

And with Kurt's word like a cue, the rest of the class started chatting again, some of the sniggering, or joking around with the two words she'd given them for their project

"Will you please be quiet?" she sounded weak again. She sighed and bowed her head letting them get on with it. She had two more classes until the end of the day and she just couldn't be bothered.

As she looked up again and let her eyes scan across the class they met a pair of hazel. One person, one girl, was actually paying attention, or waiting so she could pay attention. Puck, one of the boys in the class was sitting one side of her at another desk, he leant over and started saying things lowly next to her ear. Rachel noticed the girls eyes leave the focus of her own and her face screw up before she swatted the boy

"You're so immature" she spat at him. Quinn, that was her name. Not that Rachel should really think such things, but she was a really pretty girl, prettiest she'd ever seen and from what Rachel had seen in her drama class over the past couple of months, Quinn was a lot more than that. She was also the head cheerleader but that didn't stop her.

About 10 minutes after Rachel gave up she handed out text books, useless books that could barely teach them how to write their own script for their own performance piece, but they didn't want to listen to her, what was the point.

Finally, the bell rang "Okay if you could leave your books in a stack, on the front desk..." she trailed off as half the class were already out the door. When had she become such a push over? She wasn't sure where it had all gone so wrong

The text books were left in a messy heap on the table, some were left on other desks, where some student hadn't bothered to bring the text book to the front on the way out. As Rachel started tidying the books into stacks Quinn offered her a sympathetic and almost apologetic smile as she placed three text books on the table in a neat stack.

...

As Rachel reached her apartment block she noticed a familiar car parked out front. She couldn't help the smile that spread on her lips: _he_ was here

As she got out her car and walked across the road towards his car and the door to the apartment block he got out of his car. He gave her that dopey smile he always gave her

"Hey Finn" she smiled up at him

"Hey Rach" he still had that dopey smile that most would want to slap off his face as he wrapped his arms round her and lowered his head to kiss her. Before the kiss could go too far Rachel pulled back

"Would you like to come up?" she asked him, knowing the answer already

"I'd love that"

.

An hour later she was walking him back to his car; her hand was held in his as they walked down the stairs of the apartment complex

"Please stay" she asked softly, pulling him to a stop by the doors

"Rach" he said with sad eyes "I would but I can't"

"Why not?"

"She'll-" he regretted the word as soon as it came from his mouth as Rachel's eyes saddened "I just can't, I'm sorry"

"I get it" she nodded sadly. Though she didn't really 'get it'. If he liked her, loved her as he'd said when they 'made love', why wasn't he with her, why did he stay with his wife who he didn't love.

"I'm sorry" he repeated before bowing his head and pressing a long but still simple kiss to her lips

"Take care" she told him as she kissed him again and let him go.

...

The following week a Thursday again, Rachel was with her senior class again. This time they'd managed to move the work on, they were discussing backdrops and scenery.

She stopped by Quinn, because she was one of the few actually doing the work and not throwing things at fellow students. "That's really good"

"Huh?" the cheerleader looked up, she'd been lost in her sketch "Oh, this. It started as a sketch for my scene, but I kinda just started doodling"

"That's doodling?" Rachel asked with a raised brow "You're really talented; your drawings are really good"

"Thank you" Quinn muttered shyly. Rachel took the empty next to the student to look through the other sketches. Quinn couldn't help but watch her teacher as she went through the few pages "I want to apologise" the blonde found herself suddenly saying

"For what?" Miss Berry asked, looking to her student with a furrowed brow

"For my class" she said lowly "They're behaviour, it's just so childish. You're a really good teacher Miss Berry" she nodded encouragingly "You don't deserve what they do"

"Th-Thank you" she could have slapped herself for stuttering but she meant the thank you. What Quinn said was like weight being lifted off her shoulders. It gave her some confidence. "You're works great, just keep doing what you're doing" she added to break the sudden awkward silence before leaving Quinn by herself again.

...

The following day Rachel was on her way to the parking lot. She'd just finished the day with her senior class, the loud pushy class. Just one of her many classes, in which she felt overwhelmed by her students and struggled to keep control of them and, sometimes, her emotions. She couldn't help but want to cry, she'd feel like a failure when they'd ignore her and disobey her. She just tried to remember Quinn's words, they made her feel better.

Today Rachel had been out of that class room door as quickly as her eager to escape students. Of course they just over took her as they basically ran for the exits to get away from dreaded school.

As she wandered mindlessly down the now empty hallways she heard footsteps echoing behind her. They got louder as they grew closer. Rachel braced herself, readying herself to get shoved or have the books and papers in her arms knocked out of her arms when the footsteps slowed and a familiar face stepped into place next to her

"Um, Hi Miss Berry" the girl in the red cheerleading uniform said shyly, getting her teachers attention

"Oh Hello Quinn, can I help you?" the teacher asked

"Yeah, well I was wondering" she tucked loose strand of hair that had come free from her pony tail, behind her ear "Well there's a new exhibition at the gallery and, well the theme is True love, like our projects. I was going to go, I asked a few others but they're not interested, I wondered if you'd like to, go with me that is?" she bit her bottom lip in anticipation as she glanced at her teacher, hopeful of the answer she wanted

"I don't know Quinn-"

"I was thinking tomorrow, you know the gallery in town. I just thought it could be good to help with ideas for our projects" she added to encourage the idea. She sped up in her steps to reach the double door to the exit before Rachel, so she could open the door for her teacher

"Thank you" the brunette nodded as she stepped through, Quinn following behind

"So what do you say?" the blonde girl asked again

"Okay" Rachel gave in. "Shall we say 11 O'clock, or is that too early for you" the teacher suggested

"Oh please, I've got cheerio training at 7 'til 9 am tomorrow" she chuckled with a smirk "11's good for me" the girl agreed

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow" Rachel nodded with a smile

"See you tomorrow" Quinn replied as she skipped down the steps towards her car. She mentally scolded herself for the bounce in her step, knowing Rachel was watching her

And Rachel was watching her, curiously, as the blonde went to her car. The brunette teacher made sure she was on her way to her own car before her student caught her watching her.

...

Later that evening Rachel found herself where she was every Friday night; at her father: Leroy's home. They had dinner together every Friday night. Rachel made sure to never miss one out since her father's divorce 3 years ago. Leroy had been left by himself, Rachel's _other _father found himself someone new, coincidentally, shortly after the divorce. Rachel made sure to meet with him regularly, although it wasn't just for him it was for her too. They were both lonely

They were sat down, opposite sides of the dinner table as they ate, when her dad bought up the same subject he'd bring up at least once every Friday

"How are things going Rach" he peeked up from his plate "Anyone special in your life yet?"

She let out a single humourless exhale of a laugh "No dad" she met his eyes briefly before looking back down at her food "not exactly" she mumbled

"So there is someone?" he gently left his fork on the edge of his plate and kept his attention on his daughter

"Yes" she admitted with a sigh, abandoning her food too "But not someone you should get excited about" yeah he'd just love to hear about his daughters relationship with some married man

"No, I want you to get excited about them" he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood and the sad, defeated look he was seeing too often on her face

He managed to get a small smile from her before she just sighed again "It's complicated" she bowed her head again, not wanting him to see the truth in his eyes. Then again he was pretty oblivious, so he might not be able to tell anyway

He sighed too, as he reached across the table and enveloped his hand over hers "If it's complicated then it's not good. It's not worth it Rach" he said with a small smile "I just want you to be happy"

"I know dad, I want you to be happy too"

"Don't worry about me"

...

Even later that night she got a surprise knock on the door. They hadn't arranged to see each other.

This time was just like all the others with Finn, so why did it feel different. With his sweaty body pressing down on hers almost suffocating her, his awkward non-rhythmic thrusting, the grunting... Was this ever romantic, did it ever feel good? Was it her father's words, his voice in her head (which was enough to put any one off anyway)

Something had changed, reality was hitting her, this wasn't the life she wanted. She ended up just laying their... until he was done.

She walked Finn to the door, he dropped a kiss to her cheek, making her feel cheap and gave her his dopey smile which she automatically smiled back at and then he was gone again

Had he even said 5 words to her, barely kissed her... it used to be good hadn't it, she loved him didn't she?

...

11:17 were the numbers that stared back at Rachel from her phone screen. Had Quinn changed her mind, no. Rachel realised what this was, it was a set up, a prank, Quinn wasn't ever going to meet her. She wasn't going to wait outside the small gallery another minute when suddenly she spotted Quinn across the road. The girl checked for no traffic before jogging across the road.

Rachel was actually surprised she even recognised Quinn, not in her Cheerios attire and with her long blonde hair down

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Cheerios ran late, and I still had to rush home and change and stuff, I hope you haven't been waiting long" she explained and sounded genuinely apologetic

"That's fine Quinn, and I wasn't waiting long" they couldn't help but just smile at one another for a second, both with some relief that the other had actually shown up

.

Rachel wandered through the small gallery looking at the mixture of photo's, paintings, drawings, sculptures. Many other mediums were used as well but Rachel didn't really know what they were. Art wasn't her thing; she had an appreciation of it, but not always the understanding. She found herself starting at a drawing; it looked like two men have a business meeting over dinner

As she kept looking at it, really trying to solve the puzzle to the picture, she noticed Quinn step up next to her "I don't understand this one, isn't it supposed to be True Love" All the others had been seemingly obvious, although Rachel may have missed the more subtle signs then; but when you're given the image of a man and woman kissing you feel its pretty self explanatory; not this time

"It is, but it's not as obvious as some of the others" Quinn said explained, she took a step closer to the drawing "See, they're in suits but they're jackets are on their chairs, so it's casual. And the man facing away from us his head is bowed slightly, I imagine the other man with a pleased smile on his face said something to make the other one react shy like that. Also there's a candle on the table, that seems pretty date like, and there's only one plate of food."

"I didn't notice any of that"

"You're not supposed to catch it the first time, the last thing I noticed when I saw it was where there's a gap in the table cloth, you can see the light catching the further away mans foot, against the other guys leg"

Rachel let out a humourless chuckle "I always thought Lima was small minded"

Quinn shook her head "Not here at the gallery" she sounded like she was here often "we like to push boundaries"

"We?" Rachel's attention wasn't on the large drawing anymore; it was on her student next to her with an arched eyebrow

"Yeah I'm a member, I often have my work shown here when it's good enough. If my parents found out they'd burn me like a witch" she laughed but it was a nervous one. This was all a secret and she'd let her teacher in

Rachel didn't push to ask about why her parents were against any of this so she went a different route "So do you have a piece on display this time"

"Um, yeah" she fiddled with her hands as she looked down at them shyly "It's over there" she nodded in the direction behind Rachel, making her teacher turn and go in search of her piece

It didn't take long to find it, it was quite obvious which one it was "Was this taken in my class room?" she asked Quinn who had shyly followed her to see her reaction.

There wasn't much obvious background to the picture so Quinn was surprised Rachel could tell "Yeah, how did you know?"

"No one's paying attention" she laughed. Quinn didn't thought, she just bowed her head guiltily. It wasn't her fault that the class was like that but she felt responsible, probably because she was a leader in the students eyes and she imagined she could but a stop to it, but then she'd be branded a teacher's pet, and the students would continue to mess around in Miss Berry's class

"Its Brittany and Artie, they're cute together" the teacher admitted at the obvious picture of the pair sitting at a desk holding hands. Brittany's head was resting in her other hand as Artie talked to her, and she just listened with a fond smile on her face

"Yeah, but look in the background" Quinn pointed up at the enlarged photo, to the top right corner.

Rachel carefully scanned the background and she wasn't sure why she didn't notice before, another cheerleader was sending them a death glare laced with jealousy "Santana... I didn't know she liked Artie"

Quinn had to laugh a little "She doesn't"

"Oh" Rachel said when realisation hit her quickly "Santana and Brittany? Those two always seemed a bit close"

"They're meant to be" Quinn defended, but she wasn't abrupt, just quick to say it

"I didn't mean anything bad, I just meant I'm not sure why I didn't see it before" Rachel excused herself "How did you take the picture anyway?" she asked to move away before awkwardness could settle

"Actually that one, was just on a camera phone, I was pretty pleased with how it came out" she said surprised

"Sneaky" Rachel commented "Taking pictures of your friends like that" she chuckled

"It just seemed right for the theme" she shrugged "And it's not like anyone from school comes here, except me, so know ones going to say anything. I like this gallery, its quiet and everyone respects each other. Not like at high school"

"No, definitely not like high school" Rachel sighed as she looked back up at Quinn's photo studying it some more.

...

They went to the small cafe next to the gallery once they were finished there, deciding as while they were out, they might as well go to lunch.

"Quinn I have to ask, your photography and your drawings are amazing, why don't you tell anyone about them? Your work is regularly at a gallery, that's amazing. So why doesn't anyone, including your parents, know?"

"Well" Quinn took a cautious sip of her coffee before putting the mug down again "I'd really like to do it, for a career, Photography anyway, and the drawing can remain a hobby. But it's not a sensible career choice; as my dad would say. And what I do now would be seen as wasting valuable time for studying subjects that matter"

"But you're already top of most of your classes" Rachel asked with a furrowed brow

"Yeah but if he knew about this, it would be the reason I'm not top of _all_ my classes" she sighed with slight frustration

"You should do what makes you happy Quinn"

"Thanks... but it's not so easy when _daddy_ is paying for everything. He could easily take that away"

"I'm sorry Quinn, I wish there was something I could do-"

"No" she shook her head with a slight smile "It's okay Miss Berry, I'll follow his rules until I don't need him anymore and then I'll do what I want"

"I hope it all works out for you" she smiled sadly

"Did it all work out for you?" the blonde girl asked "Did you always want to be a teacher?"

"Um, no actually, I wanted to be on Broadway" that was the first time she'd said that out loud in 3 or 4 years

"What happened?"

"Well, I didn't get into the academy I wanted and... I just felt I wasn't good enough anymore" she shrugged simply and took a sip of her coffee, as if she hadn't just summed up throwing her whole life down the drain in one simple sentence

"I bet you are, I bet you're still good enough. Maybe not getting into some academy knocked your confidence, I know the first time I applied at the gallery I was rejected because my photo's weren't good enough, but I didn't let it stop me, you shouldn't have let it stop you" she spoke with such sudden animation that Rachel just looked back at her curiously "You used to sing, when you started here at the beginning of the school year, every Friday after school, you'd go to the auditorium, stand on that stage and belt out something amazing" she was still animated in her words and now she seemed to calm down to admit shyly: "I'd sneak in the back and watch you nearly every time"

"You did?" she squeaked unintentionally, bowing her head with embarrassment at how she just sounded

Quinn silently chuckled then replied when her teacher managed to look back up at her "Yeah, why did you stop?"

Rachel just shrugged as she searched for an answer "I don't know" was her conclusion "I could blame things like my dad, I mean that was the excuse I used as to why I was coming back to Lima. Not the truth; not that I was scared, but he was now single and alone. So after I finished at college I came back and I was able to start teaching because of my degree. I worry about him that's all, and I use that as an excuse"

"So that's it... you're not married, kids?" she asked hesitantly

"Not married no and no kids, there's someone... he makes me happy" Rachel felt herself trying to convince herself with her own words

"Are you going to marry him?"

"No, no I won't marry him" she breathed out a nervous laugh

"Why?" Quinn jabbed her with another question, concern and intrigue on her face

"I-I don't know" a voice inside her head wanted her to scream _'because he's married'_ part of Rachel wanted herself to listen to reason and to not get her hopes up about Finn

...

After lunch the pair went for a walk in the park not far from the gallery. Neither of them really wanted to go home yet; there wasn't much waiting for either of them there and they were having fun. Even if some of Quinn's questions had felt intrusive.

The theme from the gallery and the drama project was still in each of their heads so it wasn't a surprise or awkward when Quinn started talking

"You know, I never think I've met a guy I feel I can really open up to... I think the whole point of being with someone, is so you can talk to them and let go of everything and even when you're at your worst they still..." she hesitantly looked to the side at Rachel to find her teacher looking straight back at her "they still like you and still want to speak to you and care about you and stuff"

"But you don't feel you've met someone like that?" Rachel asked, thought she wasn't surprised. If the boys at McKinley were anything to go by, Quinn didn't have many options

"No" Quinn then chuckled, her hazel eyes still meeting the chocolate brown of her teachers "But who genuinely finds love at my age?"

Rachel found herself having to look away before she was lost in those eyes "Well the way you describe it, it's like more than just a relationship, it's like you're looking for a friendship within it"

"That's what I want... a real friendship" Quinn's tone was a little more serious now "with someone who I can trust with all my secrets and all my weird habits" she looked up to meet Rachel's gaze again as the woman was looking back at her while she spoke again "and all my nerdy little things... and they'll still love me for it"

Was it wrong that Rachel wanted to know what all those nerdy little things and weird habits were?

...

Tuesday: Rachel taught this senior class three times a week, why did it feel like they were her only class?

They were supposed to be discussing their ideas for their scene they were writing, but most of the class were discussing anything but. She had a few people attention, the students that seemed to actually want to pass the class this year, to help them get into the colleges of their choice.

"Santana, yes, what's the theme of your idea?"

"Well, true love doesn't have to be easy does it? So I was doing unrequited love, I'm not sure if it will be a happy ending yet" she added

"That's great Santana" it was actually a breakthrough that the Latina was even trying. Though from what Quinn had taught her about Santana over the weekend maybe the project had spoken to her... or Quinn. Santana was sat next to Quinn today, Rachel couldn't help it when she saw Quinn

The blonde had her head resting in her hands as she gazed at her teacher, Rachel shyly caught her eye. Quinn seemed to wake up from a day dream as she realised Miss Berry was looking right back at her, she shyly found her pen and bowed her head to continue with some imaginary work.

Santana discretely looked between the teacher and her best friend, before deciding to let it go for now and get back to work.

...

The same day, later that evening Rachel was marking various, half hearted pieces of homework when there was a knock on her apartment door. She furrowed her, she hadn't expected Finn over, but then again, last time he came over was uninvited too.

She got up and went to the door, she looked through the hole to see who it was "Quinn?" she whisper asked herself. She opened the door quickly worried that something might be wrong, maybe with the girl's parents or something "Quinn what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you. I'm sorry I didn't ring from downstairs, but some people were coming out so I thought I'd sneak in" she bit her lip anxiously as she waited for the brunette to say something

Rachel couldn't seem to get the girl out of her mind lately; she seemed to have been able to get in Rachel's head, make her see all her problems, but not it such a bad way. Quinn just had this way of making Rachel want to be better, more determined like she was before. And something else

"You might as well come in" she stepped to the side to let her student in

"Thank you" Quinn said as she slipped past Rachel. She stopped in the hallway waiting for direction

"Just go straight on to the sitting room, would you like coffee, you must be freezing"

"Yes please, I can make it if you want" she offered

"Don't be silly, I've got it, you just sit" Rachel quickly escaped into the kitchen.

Quinn walked through, what she saw of Rachel's apartment seemed to fit; it was all so Rachel, well the Rachel she knew.

A couple of minutes later she placed two cups of coffee on the coffee table in front of the sofa Quinn was sitting on

"How did you know where I live?"

Quinn didn't answer, she didn't want to admit that she'd seen the teachers keys left on her desk in the class room and she'd taken a photo with her camera to read the tag on them that had her address. She didn't understand why you'd have your address tagged on your keys, that was basically giving a burglar directions wasn't it?

"Why are you here Quinn?" she tried a different question as she sat down on the opposite end of the sofa

"Like I said I wanted to see you. And I wanted to make sure you're okay" The blonde turned in her seat so she was facing Rachel.

The brunette however just kept her eyes fixed on her coffee on the table "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I dunno, I just wondered, after all the things we talked about last Saturday. I felt we were friends, I wondered if... well if you ever want to talk you can talk to me" how could Quinn make it sound so easy "Like the guy you're seeing, does he really make you happy?" Quinn pushed

And Rachel found herself answering without hesitation "I... It's complicated, really complicated"

"You can trust me, we're friends right?" Quinn asked, she shuffled closer but the older woman didn't answer "Rachel?" it was the first time she'd said her first name, Rachel found herself at Quinn's will, just because of how her name had sounded on the 18 year olds lips

"He's married" she confesses as tears start to cascade down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry" and with that Quinn is quickly out of her seat and kneeling in front of the brunette who wouldn't turn to look at her. She ducks her head to peer up and get Rachel to finally meet her gaze "I can't see you like this" she confesses in a whisper as she holds back her own tears

Before Rachel can even clear her watery eyes and question the girl she feels lips, so soft and delicate pressing against her own. They pull away briefly but Rachel moved forward to find them again, for a real kiss. Rachel had never felt so much in a kiss before as Quinn's lips moved gently against her own, it was wrong but it only felt right, they fit so perfectly.

Quinn did pull away again but only to apologise "I'm sorry, I've wanted to do that for so long" she wiped a tear from her own face that must have fallen during the kiss, she couldn't help but smile too "I've never felt like this around another person" she confessed yet another thing

Rachel said nothing she just took both of Quinn's hands in her own as she looked down at the blonde, still kneeling in front of her. Quinn looked back with worry unable to read Rachel at the time.

* * *

**There will most probably be a second part, but please let me know what you think...**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: thank you for the reviews and favourites and follows for this story it is muchly appreciated. Thanks for reviewing: SilverfoxCFL, 0rnitier, hope2smith, NZgleek91, Guest, xtremeagain **(I definitely don't get bored of you reviewing ;) )**, Musicfutbolfan6, Sticktoyourguns, Glee Faberry-Achele Fan , sam, MCLF, Guest, Novak Fan **(thanks, I tried to give the 'student' more of a story, and thanks for reviewing as it was good to include the opinion of someone who knew what i was referencing)**, RVNola546, mythic-lionheart, Alex, pierce22, anon and kino101. You're all so kind!**

**For anyone interested, the episode I based this fic on is the only ep I can find from the series on YouTube: so if you're interested: /****watch?v=NFw4d7lKtkI**

**Just note that it was an improvised drama (and smaller details like the student is 16, but that's legal over here :/), and I did take a lot of what they said but I wanted to develop the student character more than they did; and I planned to continue to do so in this part.**

**As you all seem so positive and I had a 3****rd**** part in mind already if you wanted, then I will continue the fic a little more. After this chapter though, it's just me writing, not based on anything, so it might just be crap (just a warning)**

**Posted: 2/9/12**

* * *

Chapter 2

It all happened so fast. Rachel wasn't sure what to feel, she felt happy, content, but worried because she should have felt what was right; and that was that it was wrong; all wrong.

She shouldn't have been happy laying here with her head on Quinn's bare shoulder, the blonde was stroking her fingers against Rachel's bare arm as they lay tangled in bed together.

She should have felt sick when Quinn had admitted it was her first time, but she didn't.

"Do you regret it?" she asked, her tone hushed and gentle

"No" Quinn answered quickly in the same tone "I could never regret that" she wanted to stay here forever with Rachel wrapped round her "Do you regret it?"

There was a pause but not because Rachel regretted it, she was just worried what admitting it would mean "No, I don't regret it"

"I-I care about you Rachel... so much" she breathed the last two words "I can't help it"

"Why?"

Quinn chuckled lightly, that was a big one word question "because I do... I have since I first saw you"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I couldn't believe you were my teacher, it almost killed me because I thought we could never..." she trailed off, as what they had just done, so soon after their first kiss, contradicted the next part of that sentence "I thought you were just a badly dressed teen, with that pant suit you were wearing" she laughed

"It wasn't that bad" Rachel defended playfully

"Yes it was"

"Okay it was" Rachel conceded "Don't worry I got rid of it, gave it to charity" Quinn gasped loudly startling Rachel "What?"

"That's a mean thing to donate, more like an insult-" she was met with a pillow to the face, screaming and giggling ensued as a pillow fight broke out briefly before their lips met and they were lost again.

...

They hadn't had a chance to speak to one another again and it had been two days since that night, the night that neither of them could get out of their head. Quinn was grabbing some of her books from her locker when she noticed her teacher, yeah _her_ teacher passing by.

Their eyes instantly met, like they were magnetised to one another. A shy but bright smile was on Rachel's lips in a second. She had to duck her head. Quinn just watched as Rachel walked past, she tucked the fallen strands of hair back behind her ear before wrapping her arm back around the books she was already cradling with the other and hugging them tighter.

She glanced briefly at Quinn again when she was right near her, making the girl smile. Quinn watched her walk away down the hallway and disappear between the throngs of students. She didn't even notice how brightly she was smiling to herself as she looked back into the abyss of her locker.

She had to see Rachel; she couldn't get her out of her head. She couldn't go see her tonight: cheer practice and she'd already used the 'I'm going to Santana's' excuse already this week. So no, not tonight, but she had to go see her again, be with her, talk. Soon

Further down the hallway a certain, supposed best friend of the head cheer leader had seen the exchange. This time she wasn't going to just let it go

...

Santana and Quinn were eating, or rather sitting with their lunch in the school cafeteria. They sat opposite each other; Quinn was starting at her plate mindlessly pushing a salad leaf around her plate. Santana, who sat opposite her, was looking beyond the blonde to another girl further away.

Brittany sat with Artie at another table; she was feeding him and it made Santana want to vomit. Unable to keep her death glare focused on that scene, she looked back at her friend. Quinn's head may have been down but she could see she was smiling

"What you smiling at?" the Latina sneered

"Huh?" she looked up quickly wiping the stupid grin off her face "Nothing" she mumbled

The Latina narrowed her eyes in on her supposed best friend

"What do you think of Miss Berry, I mean she's the only new teacher we've had this year" Yeah Santana didn't have much tact, but it didn't really matter if Quinn saw straight through her "She's okay, isn't she. I mean we get on with her alright?"

"Yeah, she's nice" Quinn nodded, as she kept her head down to avoid the Latina's piercing and often scary stare.

"I think you probably get on with her more that I do, you know" she leant forward and kept her voice low "You've got a bit of a connection"

"She's cool" the blonde shrugged, abandoning her fork and leaning back to sit up straight

"She seems to like you too" she narrowed her eyes a little as she kept watching her friend for any tell tale signs, for anything as she went in for the kill "There's nothing going on with you an her, is there?"

"What?" Quinn scoffed as she finally tried to connect with Santana, she betrayed herself though as her eyes would only meet Santana's briefly before looking at something else, beyond her head, then back to her eyes again "no, no..." she shook her head, her eyes still darting all over the place "That would be weird, she's our teacher, that's it" she laughed dismissively, as if what Santana was insinuating was crazy

Santana relaxed and leant away of Quinn "yeah, that's what I thought" her tone was calm and light, she wanted Quinn to relax, while she processed the blondes reaction

...

Rachel had a task to do; she should have done it long ago before it became a heartbreaking mess. The actual task now, didn't seem so horrible, not when she thought about who was in his place, in her heart... and in her bed.

She shivered at the thought; torn between knowing it was wrong and how bad it would be if they were outed, and then how amazing Quinn was and how amazing she felt with the young woman. Because Quinn was a young woman and there was no harm in thinking that because it was true.

Not just for her age and body, Quinn was an adult for her mind and heart too. And Rachel just held onto that to remind herself that it wasn't wrong for her to feel like this.

So now she found herself with Finn in his car. She didn't want him at the apartment today, not ever again either really. That was her sanctuary...

He hadn't found it peculiar when she'd phoned him and asked him to meet her, or when she got in his car once he pulled up at the apartment block and told him to just drive somewhere. They used to go on dates, before whatever this sham was had become just sex.

He ended up pulling into a parking lot by a park. He pulled the parking brake on and cut the engine. They both undid their seat belts, Finn turned in his seat and looked at Rachel but she didn't look back

"So what's up?" how did this man a little older than Rachel make her feel like she was sitting with someone younger than Quinn? He was far more immature.

"I can't do this any more" she said plainly, wiping the dopey smile of his face

"Can't do what Rach?"

"This" she had to face him "between us, whatever this mess is, I can't do it anymore, I don't want to"

He seemed frozen, his mouth open trying to force out a word when Rachel just sighed and got out of the car.

"Wait Rach, Wait" her ex-lover scrambled to get out of his car and run after her, he grabbed her arm stopping her "Wait Rach, we can sort this out"

"No we can't Finn, you have a wife, go back to her" she pulled her arm out of his grasp and continued to walk away

"But Rachel"

"No Finn" she shook her head and kept her steps confident

"At least let me drive you home" he called after her

It was nearly completely dark but she didn't care, she really didn't want to spend any more time with him. She turned back but kept going so she walking away backwards "No thanks, I'll be fine, just go" she told him, and with that she was out of his life and to her relief he was out of hers.

...

The next day when Rachel pulled up outside her apartment she didn't expect someone to be waiting in their own car for her. The day had been even longer than usual thank to a staff meeting that mostly consisted of Sue and Schue butting heads over pointless things while Figgins had a nap in the corner.

So seeing Quinn in her red car waiting for her, really brightened her mood. The girl in the car didn't see her pull up, or get out her car, or even approach. When she got to the red car she knocked on the driver's side window. Quinn took her attention away from her phone to see who it was, she instantly smiled when she saw Rachel smiling back at her, with one of those smiles that was even noticeable in your eyes.

She grabbed her bag and opened the door "Hey" she said softly as she got out

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you" she said innocently

They were soon in Rachel's apartment, removing their coats, or in Quinn's case her Cheerios letterman, and hanging them up on the coat stand by the front door

"Can I get you anything?" Rachel asked as she took her bag and papers she'd have to mark over the weekend on the small table in the kitchen "Quinn?"

She turned around to find the blonde standing in the kitchen doorway, her bottom lip pinned beneath a row of pearly white teeth

"What?" she asked with worry and a furrowed brow that Quinn thought was adorable

"Come here" she whispered

As Rachel got nearer Quinn backed away making Rachel follow "Where are you going?" the brunette chuckled

"This is the way to the bedroom right?" she grinned mischievously

That wiped the smile of her face "Quinn, we can't"

"Why not?" the blonde said softly stepping closer to the other woman "I want you" she whispered into her ear as she wrapped her arms round the shorter woman's middle

"Quinn we shouldn't" Rachel pulled away carefully

"Don't you want to" she asked innocently

"Now that's not fair, you can't say it like that and not make me feel bad" Rachel chuckled "You know how I feel, I just..." she sighed "I don't think it's such a good idea"

Quinn closed the gap again "Don't think" she whispered before connecting their lips in a heated kiss and guiding Rachel to the bedroom

...

A couple of weeks had gone by, with secret rendezvous between the two. They were happy, truly happy. When they were together it was just them, the outside world and the truths forgotten. Quinn had even stayed over for the night on two occasions. Santana was unknowingly Quinn's excuse to her parents for where she'd been.

Yet another week of school was nearly over, and it was Friday last lesson again.

"Will you please be quiet and face the front" and yet again Rachel was spending too much time just trying to get her class just to settle long enough to give them instructions.

Puck was surprisingly quiet already, but he was keeping his head down. Kurt sat at the back with his friends, a loud diva girl: Mercedes and then the opposite end of the spectrum a quiet stuttering Goth teen: Tina. They were gossiping away as usual but they kept looking at her, making Rachel feel uneasy.

"Please Class!" they slowly started to grow quiet, it was now that Puck looked up sending a nasty glare to his teacher. Rachel tried not to let the judging stare get to her. She didn't understand why he was looking at her like that and the others had been glancing at her but she had a class to teach so she tried not to let it get to her

"Right now, today we're going to be working on the scripts. You should have already finished them but I've allowed you extra time. I hope you'll all finish them today. If you need any help just ask me, is there any questions?"

"Yeah I got a question" Puck called out without hesitation "How long have you been screwing Quinn?" he said with disgust. The other students laughed as Rachel's face dropped from stress to worry. She looked straight to Quinn who's eyes were suddenly tearful and red

"How long?" he asked again "How long?"

"I meant a real question" she tried to compose herself while the class just kept laughing and looking at Quinn then her

"How long?" he asked again. He stood up, but stayed by his seat. Though that didn't stop Rachel thinking she was about to be assaulted by this angry student "Do you know how disgusting that is?" he spat.

Quinn looked to Santana next to her but the Latina just kept facing the front, the blonde saw her nervously swallow but she wouldn't look back at her. Quinn felt like such an idiot.

"Enough!" she yelled, glaring back at the boy for destroying her and Quinn's little bubble "You will take your stuff, Mr Puckerman and go to Principle Figgins and tell him why you're there" she pointed to the door but she couldn't stay strong long enough to hold eye contact, she ended up looking away, downwards in fact to the floor, not able to look at anyone right now.

"Oh, I'll tell him" he sneered; he shoved his table by knocking it with his leg as he slung his backpack over one corner and left the room.

Rachel counted down from 5 to give the boy a head start before she escaped the room of laughing and yelling to cry alone on the corridor

She never went back to the lesson she just hid in the staff room as she tried to compose herself

...

As soon as that bell rang Quinn dragged Santana out of the class room with her. They ended up in the sports hall where the McKinley basketball team came to lose all their home games and the few assemblies they had a year were held.

The doors swung shut with a heavy slam which echoed throughout the big hollow room. Quinn was a mess as she dropped her bag on the floor and turned to who she thought was a friend. Her eyes started welling up again as she tried to interrogate the Latina

"I need to know why you told them" she knew it was her

Santana just folded her arms defensively across her chest and stared at her friend with absolute bewilderment at what Quinn was insinuating "Wha-What?"

"Oh please" Quinn sneered through her few escapee tears "Santana 'Bitch' Lopez doesn't stutter. Why did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell anyone anything Q" she shook her head and held that puzzled expression on her face "I don't know what you're talking about"

"I know you did it" the blonde spat, her words echoing off every surface in the gym "I watched you in there, you couldn't look at me"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Santana just repeated defensively

"Did you see how hurt she was, did you see that?"

"I don't get you Q-"

"I love her!" there it was, what she'd wanted to confess to Rachel for at least a week now and she yelled that confession to her; judgemental Santana, not the person she wanted to tell.

"What?" Santana dropped the faked confusion and swapped it for a look of repulsion "You know Quinn, if you wanna les it up that's fine, do what you want, but she's your teacher for god sake. Do you know how disgusting that is!" she exclaimed

Quinn didn't want to hear it, she didn't need to hear it Santana was wrong; Rachel, not Miss Berry, _Rachel_ was so much more than some teacher, she was the woman she'd fallen for. She grabbed her bag from the floor by her feet and stormed out the hall

"Quinn!" Santana called after her with the hope of reasoning in her voice, but once that door was open and Quinn was through it her shoulders slumped "You know what yeah!" she yelled "I did tell them"

It was wrong, wasn't it for Quinn to be in love with her teacher. Santana just wanted Quinn to see that.

...

Quinn found Rachel at the brunette's apartment, unsurprisingly. No words were said as they sat on the sofa together, Quinn cuddled into Rachel's side as Rachel stroked the blonde's hair comfortingly. They sat like that for what must have been an hour, just soaking up each other's presence while trying to calm the racing thoughts of worry through their heads

"I'm supposed to be going to my dad's for dinner" Rachel muttered softly as she leant over dropping her head against the top of Quinn's

"You should go" Quinn mumbled back

"I know I should, but I should stay here too with you"

"No I need to go home" Quinn yawned

"Will you be okay?" Rachel asked guiltily. Things were going to get bad for her but she couldn't imagine how they'd be for Quinn, her dad didn't even want her doing things that made her happy, like her photography. How would they survive this?

"Yeah" Quinn pulled away from Rachel and stretched "They don't know yet" she said as she turned back to Rachel and smiled bravely. Rachel definitely picked up on that _'yet'_ would she be 'castrated' by an angry father she had yet had the... um, privilege to meet. "It will be okay Rachel" she kissed her quickly on the lips before getting up and heading to the door

Rachel was on her heels as she came round from her dazed state she was left in from such a simple kiss, but that just what Quinn could do to her "how do you know everything will be okay?"

Quinn finished tying the laces on her tennis shoes and stood back up to meet those chocolate eyes she loved so much "Because... I l- I just know Rach" she kissed her again; longer this time, when she pulled away Rachel almost went with her not wanting the kiss to end.

Quinn left without another word, but still that brave smile was on her face. She wanted to tell Rachel she loved her, but she feared not hearing it back. Rachel wished she could be as strong as the young woman she had fallen for so quickly.

...

Just like every Friday she was dutifully at her father's house for dinner. And as always he bought up the same subject to see what had changed in her life. But today wasn't the day to ask about something's. She was too tense, too stressed like something was about to snap.

"Sweetheart?"

She dropped her fork letting it clatter on the plate "Dad, please stop doing this" she sighed.

"What?" he asked so innocently; at least she knew who she got all her different pouts from.

"You realise this is our relationship now, this is all we ever to, you sit there and endlessly ask me 'what's wrong?' and 'why aren't you happy?' can't you see I don't want to answer the same questions. It's annoying"

She regretted her words when he looked back at her so hurt, it was a similar look of hurt in his eyes to when his husband told him he wanted a divorce... well when Rachel saw him after she'd found out they were getting a divorce.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to know what's going on in your life. I want you happy"

She thought of Quinn and her expression softened "I am happy dad"

"See I just want you happy, so that's good. We used to talk all the time" he sounded offended, as if Rachel not talking to him about everything anymore hurt him more than he'd admit verbally "I just want you to find a nice man and be happy"

"Ugh, really dad, you think that's what will make me happy-"

"I know it made me happy, I was just suggesting-"

"Well I don't need you suggesting anything and I'm seeing a girl!" she snapped "Not that my love life should be the focus of my life" and not that she'd admit it was because right now and she was pretty sure, right after this argument Quinn was all she had "But I'm seeing a girl"

He was shocked but not angry or upset, how could he be, if his daughter was in a same sex relationship he couldn't be disappointed... not yet anyway "That's great Rachel, see you used to be open all the time why can't it be like that again"

"You want me to be more open" she scoffed, a voice inside her head was screaming for her to shut up "Yes I'm in a relationship with a girl, a young girl, she's 18, she's a student of mine; is that what you wanted to hear" this time her snappy attitude was joined with tears; today had been a long day. Also she hated herself for calling Quinn a girl

Her dad was speechless looking at her wide eyed. All the thoughts of worry, of what would happen to his daughter for what she did to her student... all the same thoughts that had been running through her head a few hours ago.

"Wait a minute, so... a student? You're a teacher" he let out a humourless nervous laugh before saying lowly "Why are you doing this? What are you saying to me?"

"I'm in love!" it was out of her mouth before she could think and it was true... only shed admitted it to her father before she'd told the person se really wanted to

"I-I don't think you know what this is... you've just got a student with a crush on you and-"

Rachel wasn't listening o this she just left, grabbing her jacket on the way out of the house.

...

When Rachel got home she didn't know what to do with herself. She grabbed her Cell phone and text Quinn, she needed her even if it was just her words

**- I did something stupid, R**

**- Did something happen with your dad?**

The answer was almost immediate making Rachel happy. She also loved how Quinn didn't use that text speak, Finn used to and it'd take her longer than necessary to figure out what it he was saying... and that made her feel older than she was

**- I told him, I didn't mean to, it just kinda came out. Can I see you tomorrow**

**- I'll be over after Cheerios, if that's okay?**

**- yeah it is, see you tomorrow**

**- See you tomorrow :)**

The smiley face in that text wasn't a good enough substitute for a real smile from Quinn but it would have to do.

...

Quinn was at Rachel's apartment by 10 am the next day, not in her Cheerios uniform, she was greeted at the door to Rachel's apartment with a heavy kiss. As soon as the door clicked shut Rachel pulled her lips away to breath "I love you"

"You do?" Quinn asked sleepily

"Yeah, I accidentally told my dad before I could tell you"

Quinn just laughed

"What?" the brunette quizzed

"I told Santana that I love you before I got to say it to you" she bit her lip shyly at the confession

"You do?" she asked, echoing Quinn's words from before

"Yes Rachel" she kissed her quickly on the lips "I love you"

...

Quinn felt Rachel stir next to her as she roused from her sleep

"Hey" she smirked as Rachel's sleepy eyes found hers "you kinda passed out on me there"

Rachel screwed her eyes shut and blushed before opening them, now a little more awake than before "I did not" she sounded as defiant as a immature teenager, making them both laugh lightly.

"You did, it's cute"

Rachel groaned before rolling her face over so it was in her pillow "Don't ever say that again" she said into the pillow, Quinn was just about to make out the words, making her giggle

After a moment of sleepy quiet Rachel pulled her face away from the pillow and sighed

Hazel eyes were waiting for her when she did and she found them immediately. "I'm sorry" she whispered

"Why? I don't understand, what's wrong?" no, she didn't and Rachel doubted she would after what she was about to say too

"I need to leave"

"This is your apartment" she chuckled. She wasn't stupid she knew what Rachel meant; she was just trying to avoid it

"No Quinn. I need to leave, get out of town. There's going to be big repercussions for both of us. But there will be more for me... I'm being selfish" she rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling

"No" Quinn shuffled closer resting her head next to Rachel's "You're just being realistic"

"I have to get away, I'm sorry"

"Let me go with you" she sharply turned to look at Quinn, that was a crazy idea. "Please"

"You can't" she had to look away again, the ceiling that was safe.

"I want to be with you" she propped herself on her elbow to look down at the woman she loved "Everyday, like this" she closed the gap meeting Rachel's lips that just melted at the contact. They got lost in one another again and again before Quinn had to go home.

...

The following Tuesday and she was with her senior class for the first time since Puck's 'question'

The class settled quickly... which was unusual

Rachel stood up from her desk with a piece of paper in hand; ready to give her instructions to the class when Puck started drumming on the desk, it was joined by the word 'Dyke' by half the people in the class. They started chanting the word and slamming their open palms on the desk tops, the other half of the class watched on. A few of them were entertained at the behaviour that Puck was leading, some actually looked concerned, others didn't know what to think.

The noise built up getting louder and louder as Rachel sort out Quinn, giving the blonde an apologetic look with her brown eyes.

She saw Quinn shake her head and mouth 'no'. Quinn didn't want this to happen, she could read Rachel easily and right now she was breaking her heart.

Rachel dropped the piece of paper on her desk and grabbed her purse from the floor underneath. She couldn't look at Quinn as she walked out of the room and out of her life. The chanting students started cheering as she made that exit, a cheer for their victory.

She tried to hold her head high as she walked down the empty hallways. She passed classroom after class room for the last time; she wasn't coming back, that was for sure. Some of the class rooms were silent; others were filled with gentle voices. None of them sounded as out of control as hers ever had.

The exit door was insight when someone jogged up next to her and slipped their hand into hers. She didn't need to look at who it was to know, obviously. But she wanted to. She met Quinn's brightly lit face with a smile just as big on her own.

Now she really could walk away with her head held high, she had the woman she loved by her side and that's all she needed.

* * *

**So that was going to be the end but it won't be now...**

**But still let me know what you think...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for reviewing the last chapter: RVNola546, xtreme, SilverfoxCFL, sunrise4ever, Musicfutbolfan6, Guest, mythic-lionheart, DAgron01, Faberry's-Knight, PeppermintPatty, pierce22, Guest, Novak Fan, NZgleek91, nightcuddler, xphrnzrjh, Guest, Sticktoyourguns, Guest and emmacancook**

**They were some really nice reviews :)**

**Posted: 5/9/12**

* * *

Chapter 3

"So what happens now?" they were safe in their Sanctuary, better known as Rachel's apartment, cuddled up on the sofa when Quinn decided it was time to face the truth.

"Well... I was fired this morning anyway. Figgins said I'd still get my pay check for the month but that's it, as long as I left immediately... and then he asked me if I could just work the last day"

"Probably realised he'd have to pay a sub on top of your salary for the day anyway" Quinn muttered dryly as she rested her head on Rachel shoulder

"Yeah" she sighed, not wanting to dwell on it, it wasn't important "I guess he wanted me gone to avoid..." she trailed off; having to think about the consequences was making her feel sick and she didn't want to feel that with Quinn in her arms "I don't know what's going to happen, Quinn. I'll never teach again"

Quinn moved her head too look up at the brunette from the shoulder "You didn't want to teach anyway" she chuckled lightly, before relaxing again

"Yeah" Rachel smiled, simply because she loved hearing Quinn laugh "but it was still my job. I'm going to need to start over, get away. I own my apartment, so I'll sell it and pay off the mortgage"

"Where are we going to go?"

"I don't know" she paused to pull away from Quinn and get her to look at her properly. The blonde, still in her Cheerios uniform was slouched on the sofa as she looked at Rachel curiously "Quinn, remember you still have your parents-"

"No" She suddenly sat up straight "I don't need them, I need you. I'm not me without you" she couldn't look at Rachel to reveal her vulnerability. She let the tears fall but with what had happened at the school recently she didn't want Rachel to think she was weak

The brunette shuffled closer, leaning against the younger woman's side as she tried to wrap her arms round her comfortingly "Quinn-"

"No Rachel" she turned in her arms, hoping she held back her tears enough so Rachel wouldn't notice "... I never asked anyone else to go to the gallery with me; I just needed an excuse to spend time with you outside school. And I wanted to be open with you; I wanted to prove I'm not just some dumb kid, before I tried"

"-I know you're not some dumb kid Quinn" her own eyes were getting shiny at seeing Quinn like this "I just need you to know what will happen if we do this, what you'll lose"

"It's nothing compared to what I'll have" she smiled bravely, knowing she was making the right decision "So where are we going?" she pushed again hoping to move the conversation along; she had some ideas

"I don't know yet" she admitted

"Really, well how about New York?" Maybe it wasn't always the city she pictured herself in, but it was hardly a down grade on any idea she'd had for herself. New York city had been in her mind more and more since getting to know Rachel better and her Broadway dreams "A fresh start and I don't just mean for us now, but for you... you could try again-"

"Don't Quinn, just don't, I can't" now it was Rachel's turn to move away

Quinn grabbed Rachel's shoulders and turned her around sharply "You can" she said with her bossy glare

"No I can't" she bowed her head "It's too late, and we'd need money"

"It's never too late and we'd manage" she hooked a finger under Rachel's chin and, this time, gently got Rachel to meet her gaze "I'll get a job, I'll be a waitress or something"

"That's sweet" she smiled "but you need to finish school, I can't let you go on without a high school diploma, and then college, I want you to succeed"

"Well I want you to succeed too. I know it would be hard, but we'd have each other"

"You make it sound so easy"

"Yeah and I get that it won't be, but I can't be without you Rach"

"I don't want to be without you Quinn" she bought her hand up to cup the side of Quinn's face and leant in to kiss her softly. It was only short, but they had been in a more intense lip lock from when they got to the apartment until shortly before Quinn started this conversation "Can we really just run though? This could haunt us forever, I'd be worried it would find us... your parents will find you. All because I..."

"...What? That you fell..." she didn't want to assume even though they'd confessed their love already

"Fell in love with a student?" she asks as she filled in the end of the question "A wonderful young woman who became the only light in my life... yeah and I'm sorry but I am terrified of the judgement... and your parents, they're going to take this to court when they find out"

"No, because we won't be here, and I won't let them. They don't know anyway, it's not like I'm going to tell them"

"But they'll know if you leave"

"And then it will be too late. You can try all you want Rachel. We're in this together, and we're going to New York City and we're going to live our dreams with each other"

Rachel conceded with a long sigh "I love you"

"I love you too" she was the one to initiate this innocent kiss and the one to take it away again much to both their disappointment; but there were still things to do "Now I should go home, before they get suspicious" she slowly stood and started toward the front door; finding her shoes on the way.

"When are we going to start our plan then?" Rachel asked as she followed Quinn, she stopped to lean against the wall while she watched Quinn innocently slip her sneakers back on

"Depends, how long until you can sell this?"

"I'm not sure, could be a couple of weeks. We don't have to wait until its sold though, we can go once any paper work is in order and they'll get in contact if a sale is made. I only bought it rather than rented a place because I thought I'd be here longer-" Quinn cut her off with another kiss.

"You're so cute when you ramble" she wore a smirk as she pulled away from the Brunette to see her a little dazed by something so simple. She turned away to grab her jacket and slipped it on. She stopped for a second, there was one last, really important thing she needed to know. She turned back to see the brunette smiling at her fondly

"Rachel?"

"Yeah?"

"What am I?" when she saw Rachel's expression drop to slight confusion she elaborated "What am I to you, what are we?"

"Our relationship?" that sent a shiver of excitement through Quinn at Rachel using that word. Obviously they were already committed to one another, but it hadn't really come up in conversation.

"Yeah, am I your girlfriend?" she wasn't the confident girl she was a few minutes ago when they were talking on the sofa

"Only if I'm your girlfriend" Rachel said just as shyly as she kept her eyes on her feet, mirroring Quinn's pose

"I'd like to be your girlfriend" Quinn muttered timidly.

"Good, because I'd like to be your girlfriend too" she bashfully stepped closer and childishly took Quinn's hand in her own, like a young girl on a first date about to have her first kiss. And it was just like their first kiss... well physically because it was without the tears

"I'll see you soon, tomorrow" she said as she rested her forehead against her girlfriends

"You've got school tomorrow"

"No way, I'm not going back there" she pulled back to shake her head with her words, but didn't release Rachel's hands between them

"But your parents will know something's wrong if you don't go in" Rachel tried to reason

"I-I can't, I just can't face them, at school. Besides me being there might make things worse"

"Or they'll think I've left and the problem has been resolved. I know it will be hard on you Quinn and it's a big ask"

"Okay I get it; I'll go in... they'll bad mouth you though I just know it" and this would hurt Quinn more than it would Rachel as she'd be the one hearing

"Join in then, anything, make yourself a victim. Do what you have to and then we'll be free. I'm sorry to ask that of you, I really am"

"No I understand" she said "And just so you know, I feel like a victim when I'm in that school, never with you. I love you"

"I love you too"

"Now I really have to go" Quinn said reluctantly, kissing Rachel briefly and only on the corner of her mouth this time, so it couldn't lead to more.

"Call me when you get home so I know you got their safe"

Quinn nodded, Rachel asking her to call wasn't a big ask, she would call Rachel when she got home either way. She reluctantly pulled herself away so she could leave.

As Rachel walked her to the ground floor Quinn just had to keep reminding herself this wasn't forever, just a few days and she _would_ see Rachel again tomorrow... after she went to school.

...

The house was oddly silent when Quinn got there. She placed her bag on the floor, putting her car key inside so she could find it easily in the morning

"Mom? Dad? I'm home" she called out cautiously. Normally she would hear her dad talking animatedly about his day at work. Of course his enthusiasm was forced by whatever from the liquor cabinet would take his fancy on the day

"Quinnie, can you come in here please" That was all she heard, nothing else, not even the television was on. And her dad likes his sports.

"Yes daddy?" she asked as innocently as she always could be with him as she stepped through the double doorway and towards her parents. Judy sat quietly, almost invisible as Russell stepped closer towering over her daughter

"We got some news earlier today. Rather incredible story telling for once" he huffed a humourless laugh as he took a sip of his drink before placing it down on the side board next to them "They said, and it's ridiculous, that you, my dear daughter, are sleeping with one of your teachers" he laughed louder " A female teacher"

She said nothing. Her expression plain on her face, she showed no emotion. Even with Rachel's words in her head; of saying she should play the victim. That idea sickened her, Rachel had quickly become her world.

Was it impossible, maybe she was being some stupid kid with hopeless romantic wishes? She couldn't let it happen, even if she was asked to do so by the only person who mattered

"Who told you?" was all she said

She'd seen the anger in his eyes when she walked in, he already knew, he was just giving her the chance to own up, so she did

"It doesn't matter who told us!" he snapped "It's true then?"

"Every word" she was near trembling, she always was when he got like this.

"How dare you, how dare you bring this into our house. Do you know what this will do to me, to your mother? People talk Quinn" he spat her name like it was poison on his tongue "

"You were never supposed to know, it was between me and her and no one else, So stop making it about you"

"Making this about me? I am your father, your guardian. You live in my house under my rules" His voice boomed startling Quinn, but she wouldn't let that fear show in her eyes "The fact she is a woman is bad enough but she's your teacher! She's an adult and you're a child!"

"I'm 18! I'm not a child anymore"

"Don't talk back! You think you're old enough to decided what's best for you"

"I _know_ what's best for me!" she was riled up, she couldn't help but echo his actions and voice

"I told you, now don't you ever talk back to me again. Get up to your room. We will solve this once you've come to your senses and then we are to never speak of this again" he pointed to the door way, as if it were a violent cue for her to leave. But she wasn't done yet.

"Yeah that's right" she scoffed "Just like always, if we don't about it, it doesn't exist"

"Do not push me Quinn" he warned lowly through gritted teeth

"I'm sick of you ruling over my life like this, you don't know what's best for me, you don't even know me"

"Of course I know what's best for you!"

"No you don't, you don't listen to me, you just speak over me like my opinions don't matter and everything you say is what we should all believe in" today she'd make her thoughts known; she wouldn't let him push her around anymore. She didn't want to live the life others had moulded for her "But you know what dad, I'm done with your beliefs and opinions, why should I respect a man who hardly shows me the tiniest amount in return, I'm not asking for much"

"You will not turn this on me, you are the disappointment here"

"I'd rather be a disappointment than a failure like you-" she was cut off by the back of a heavy hand smacking her across the face. She felt her dad's wedding ring collide with her cheek bone, which didn't help with the initial sting.

He quickly straightened himself up; his face didn't soften as she slowly turned her slapped away head and looked back at him. "Now, give me your car keys and your phone, get upstairs and do not show your face for the rest of the evening" he said just as sternly as before.

A smart remark was on the tip of her tongue but she held it back. She went over to her school bag, taking her car key and cell phone out. She placed them on the coffee table in front of her dad. Her mom was quiet, sipping at an amber liquid in a crystal glass, as she sat on one of the various sofas in the large living room. Quinn didn't spare her a glance; it would just be wasted time and effort.

As soon as she was shut in her room she dropped her school bag on the floor, and went straight to her dresser to inspect her face.

"Shit" she looked closely, round her left eye was red, with a small cut, probably where his wedding ring hit her.

She decided to change; there was nothing else she could do now, she couldn't even call Rachel and lie by telling her everything was okay.

...

Quinn was curled up defensively in the middle of her bed in sweat pants and a hoody, when she heard her bedroom door open. She froze, waiting for the intruder to say something so she knew just how defensive she used to be.

"Quinn?" she'd know that voice anywhere but there was no way it could be who it sounded like. She shot up revealing her red eyes to the trespasser.

"Santana, what the hell are you doing here?" she sniffed and wiped her face on the back of her sleeve.

"I had to talk to you" The Latina stood awkwardly by the bedroom door she'd just closed

"And how did you even get past my parents" she didn't give Santana enough credit, she was a scheming bitch on school but she could talk her way through anything by adopting a different persona when around parents

"I made up some shit about talking some sense into you"

"Wow, you nearly quoted my dad then" she laughed humourlessly as she casually pushed the hood from her hoody down off her head

"What the hell happened to your face?" she would have yelled louder but she managed to control her volume in case the Fabrays heard down stairs. She approached cautiously wanting to get a better look

"It's nothing" she dismissed turning around so her back was to her ex-friend

"Did he hit you?" why there was surprise in the Latina's voice was a surprise in itself. She'd never trusted Russell Fabray but she'd really hoped he'd never resort to physical violence

"Why do you care?" Quinn decided to snap, realising she was mad at the other girl.

Santana didn't bother to notice Quinn's tone and she didn't really care either "I'll kill the son of a bitch" she threatened lowly "Why did he do that?"

"I told him he was a failure" Quinn kept her head down as she felt the bed dip next to her as Santana sat down next to her

"And I thought Parents wanted their kids to tell the truth" she laughed lightly

Quinn didn't want to talk about it so she asked an earlier question again "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you; after you took off I was worried" she admitted

"You told them didn't you?"

"No" Santana was quick to jump in defensively "I know what a psycho your dad can be, I wouldn't tell him about this"

"But you felt fine telling the whole school?" she turned her battered face to the teenager next to her

"I didn't tell the whole school, I- I let it slip to a couple of the Cheerios" she sounded so weak, which was just so not Santana

"You told those bitches?" Quinn had to step away from the other girl. She folded her arms across her chest as she stepped over to her dresser. She went to sit down when she saw her eye surrounded by a growing bruise. She turned away having to face the Latina instead.

"I didn't mean to. It wasn't like I said; I think Miss Berry is screwing Quinn; it was a little more coded than that. But apparently some of them are smarter then we gave the credit for" she cringed before averting her eyes from the stony glares she was receiving.

"So who told my parents?"

Quinn could see the hesitating on the tip of the Latina's lips before she just had to let it out "Puck"

"What?" she couldn't believe what she was hearing; a boy her parents hadn't approved of was the one to approach them just to ruin her life a little more

"Well he feels like his rep is damaged because you used to date him"

"Yeah for about 3 months and he was sleeping with you behind my back"

"You knew?" Santana mumbled guiltily

"I'd have to be as dumb as we thought most of the Cheerios were, to not have known"

"Sorry about that"

"I don't care about it, it's in the past" Quinn sighed

"I knew he was going to talk to them... I told him I'd sleep with him... like we used to if he didn't. He actually turned me down" she felt for stupid for thinking it before she'd spoken to Puck about it. But she still cared about her friend even if she'd selfishly wrecked her life

"You would have become an even bigger slut so my parents wouldn't find out" she asked with a sceptically raised eyebrow

"Yeah, I felt dumb for thinking it. I haven't had sex with any guy for..." she shook her head "Anyway, is there anything I can do now, for you. I know it's not ideal, if it weren't for me no one would know yet but if there's anything I can do..." the let the offer hang there while Quinn thought about it

"Actually; can you please go to Rachel's, I just have this feeling she might panic. I told her I'd call her once I got home but I didn't get the chance" she explained, her tone softer now

"You could just use my cell" she offered, trying to get it out of her jean pocket.

"I don't think I can remember the number and I think if she hears the shaking in my voice" she held back tears and hid her face by looking at her sock clad feet "she'll think something's wrong" the worry in her voice and on her face was upsetting for anyone even to Santana; she was off the bed and by her friend again so quickly.

She placed a hand gently on her shoulder, hoping it was comforting because she didn't do hugs "Something is wrong Q. Your dad hit you" she stressed every word of the last sentence "You have to get away, both of you soon"

"We're already planning to get away once she sells her apartment" she started to explain

"No Q, you should get away really soon, like tonight" maybe it was crazy but Santana didn't want her staying in this house and if Quinn went to hers or to Rachel, Russell would find her. And who knew what he could be capable of with enough alcohol in his system

"You think it's that bad?" Quinn sniffed, feeling worry and vulnerability settle again

"People will start talking; Ra-" It sounded wrong just trying to say it "Miss Berry won't be able to walk down the street without them talking. I mean this as your friend: you both need to get out of town before they keep you apart"

"'They'?"

"Well your parents, for starts. That bruising eyes is proof of that. And the people Quinn, the small minded people of this wonderful town" she said with obvious sarcasm

Quinn gave it a moment's thought. She had so much she wanted to talk to Rachel about, but could she really rely on Santana to remember everything. "If I write a letter will you take it to her?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Go on, you start writing I'll start packing" A letter, that was definitely a good idea, then she wouldn't have to talk to her teacher awkwardly about anything.

"Thanks Santana" she said quickly before finding a piece of paper and a pen and planning out in her head all the things she wanted to say.

"Are you kidding? It's the least I can do after messing it up for you" she went straight over to Quinn's closet and took out the blondes Cheerios duffle bag

Quinn stopped, it was a good as time as any to ask "Why _did_ you mess it up?"

"Honestly, at first I just thought it was wrong. I mean, come on Q, she is your teacher" she tried to explain it from her point of view

"She's only 5 years older than us San. It's just bad timing, if we'd met at another time-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. It wasn't just me wanting to be a bitch though... I was also jealous"

"Jealous, seriously?"

"Yeah, you're happy and I'm not. You've got the woman you love and Brittany-"

"Just tell her" Quinn sighed

"I have" she almost yelled back "But she said she'd 'totally be with me' if it weren't for wheels"

"San-" Quinn tried sympathetically but the other girl didn't want to hear it

"No... I know what she really wants; she wants me to be out with her. Another reason I was jealous of you and Miss Be-" now that was feeling weird to say "_her_ because you had... you were a secret" she admitted

"Oh" Quinn could understand her jealous a little more "I guess I get it, I don't completely forgive you thought. Rachel and I could have kept it quiet until I graduated"

"You really believe that? You two can't take your eyes off each other, if I hadn't said anything someone else would have. And what's with the 'Rachel and I' did she correct the way you speak or something" she paused and shook her head "Don't answer, just get writing" she didn't want to know

She had started filling a second duffle bag, that she'd found in the closet, and this one just had clothes in it too. Quinn could sort out her irreplaceable-s while she was starting phase two of the plan.

"Are you taking your cheerio's uniform?"

Quinn stopped writing to ask her friend slightly puzzled. Yeah it was her uniform but was it important tight now "Why would I take that?"

"I dunno, you two might like that in the bedroom"

"Eww no, just no" she paused to gather herself and let her blushing calm down "Rachel doesn't like anything that reminds us of our age difference"

"Yeah gross I didn't need to know you two were actually having sex, and often enough for that to have even been mentioned. So much for being the celibate ice queen when the dwarf drama teacher turns you to a mushy romantic and sex slave"

"Hey, I'm no slave"

"Gross, again, more images I didn't need in my head. Have you finished that letter yet?"

"Yeah I finished the letter" she folded the paper into 4 and tucked it into an envelope before sealing it. She noticed Santana had been watching her the entire time "What?"

"Do you think I'm gonna read it or something?"

"I know you'll read it" she smirked.

Phase one of the plan was nearly complete, the only part left for the phase was for Santana to escape without being interrogated

* * *

**So... I started slowing the story down a bit. This was a lot of talking, not sure if it was annoying or what. But please let me know what you think...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for reviewing, to: SilverfoxCFL, xtreme, Musicfutbolfan6, sam, Novak Fan, NZgleek91, mythic-lionheart, xxDark Angel Babyxx, pierce22, Jules-Day and TrustInFaith.**

**Sorry its been a while but finally figured out what to write next. Checked out the laws and punishments in the US and found out I've landed Rachel in deep doo... but I think I might be able to fix it... somehow.**

**Also I almost forgot about this fic, nearly, but the news story going round about the 15 year old school girl who's run of to France with her 30 year old maths teacher :S strangely reminded me of this fic a little...**

**Posted: 24/9/12**

* * *

Chapter 4

"What's the plan then?" Quinn asked as she zipped up a second duffle bag with her camera, laptop, and a few other important items, wrapped in more clothes to cushion them for the next part of their journey.

"I go, out the front door, say that with time you'll be 'fixed' and stuff. Then I'll be under your bedroom window you throw down your bags" Santana explained quickly as she moved both bags to by the window "Then I'll leave drop off the letter and the bags with" she sighed "Rachel" Quinn smiled a little, Santana being able to say the name without looking like she was going to vomit was progress already "Then I'll come back here once she's been able to pack and stuff and take you there"

"Why do I have to wait for you to come back? I could just go now, I can climb out that window you know"

"I know, but if your dad figures out that you've gone he might go looking for you, so it would be better if you were already on your way out of town, not nearby where he might catch you" Santana hoped that would be good enough for now. She just wanted this plan to run smoothly, she didn't want Quinn to worry about what she was about to do

"Okay, makes sense I guess" Quinn shrugged, she didn't want to wait here but she didn't want to argue anymore either, especially with someone who was actually helping her

"One last thing" Santana took her cell phone from her jacket pocket "Hold still" she reached out and straightened Quinn's face so she was looking straight to her

"What are you doing?"

"Just, don't smile, like a passport photo" she kept her hand on Quinn's face making her look to her cell phone

"What for?" she furrowed her brow

"Just some blackmail material" Santana said like it was nothing.

"What!" she slapped Santana's arm away

"Keep your voice down" Santana snapped harshly "Your dad hit you, so if this doesn't go smoothly we've got some ammo"

Quinn sighed "But blackmail" she wasn't sure

"Are you serious?" Santana scoffed "After all he's done, this is nothing, just some security"

Quinn sighed again but then held her head still and expression flat so Santana could snap a picture

"Thanks" with one last check around the room and the letter tucked away in her pocket safely, now with her phone. "Now, I gotta go, I'll be maybe an hour... maybe two" she stood their awkwardly and Quinn could read her like an open book

With a smile tugging at the blondes lips she pulled her, still, best friend into a hug "Thanks San, for doing this"

"I wouldn't have to do this if I hadn't messed it all up for you Q" she really did sound sorry as she held her friend as close as appropriately possible

"That's true" Quinn chuckled. She then pulled away "Thank you, though"

"K, Q" she patted the girls arm "I better go"

"Have you got the letter?" Quinn asked, just to make sure

"It's in my pocket, I'll give it to her, don't worry" Santana hoped her stress-y tone might actually reassure her friend

"Well I just don't want her to worry" she muttered

"It will be okay Q" they were getting all sentimental again, that was the Latina's cue to leave "Okay, I'm going now, wait by the window" with that she dropped her worried expression and went back to normal, plain Santana.

She'd hoped she'd make it to the front door without a word from the parents but Mr Fabray caught her at the door

"Ah, Santana" before this moment she just hated the man, for some reason now she was scared of him too. Probably because he had actually got to the point of striking his daughter and she knew he'd be really angry in a couple of hours. "Is there hope for her?" he glanced towards the stairs

"Of course Sir, we'll fix her" she reassured him while feeling like she'd vomit all over the expensive foyer carpet

"She's lucky she's still got you as a friend" he patted her shoulder, she managed to not automatically flinch and recoil "We hope you can stick by her, make sure she doesn't go wrong again"

"I won't let her do anything stupid Sir" she nodded as she opened the front door

"Good, you take care, and pick her up for school in the morning" he added the order at the end of his sentence as he used that slimy smile

"Yep, see you tomorrow... sir" she wanted to retch every time she used that word, but something was forcing her to say it, probably to make herself sound good and appease him

Finally she managed to close the door behind her and escape that hell house.

"And the Oscar goes to Santana Lopez" The Latina muttered as she stalked across the Fabray's front yard round tot eh side of the house. She heard the window above her slide open

"You ready?" she heard the blonde call gently

"Sure" it's just a bag of clothes it's not gonna- she had the wind knocked out of her as she managed to catch the bag. She then dropped it to the ground next to her

"This one has my laptop and camera in it" Quinn warned

"Just drop it" Santana huffed, and again she was almost knocked down by the bag

"Got it?"

"Got it" she groaned

"Good, see you in a couple of hours" she whispered before sliding the window shut. Before Santana could move an inch the window slid open again "Wait, Santana"

"Yes?"

"How will I know when I can leave?"

"You'll just know" they continued to whisper harshly while Santana's heart rate sped up, nervous that at any minute Mr Fabray was going to show up and they'd both be dead.

"What?"

"Trust me Q, you'll just know, I gotta go"

"Oh... Okay" she didn't sound so sure but she'd trusted Santana so far and if recent past was any proof, she could read Santana like a book, she'd know if she was double crossing her

Santana just sighed before slinging the bag in her arms over her shoulder and picking up the other to take them to her car. Then it was time for the next part of the plan... and she really wasn't looking forward to the awkwardness she was sure to face when she went to see Rachel

...

"What the F-" Santana couldn't believe what she was seeing "Oh hell no" she accelerated forward down the road and screeched the car to a halt, on the opposite side of the road to Rachel's car, as the Brunette was slamming the trunk of her car shut.

Santana clambered out of her car and slammed the car door, before storming across the road to the teacher. Rachel was definitely ignoring her as she walked round the car to get in

"You are kidding me?" she yelled as she grabbed the edge of the car door before Rachel could shut

"Go away Santana, you've caused enough trouble, please just leave me alone" she tried tugging the car door shut but Santana kept a firm grip on it

"Are you shittin' me?" she yelled

"No Santana, I am not, as you so eloquently put it, shittin' you" she huffed "And will you keep your voice down"

"No way" she made sure to keep her voice loud "I can't believe you're running"

"What do you expect me to do?" she snapped

"You can't leave her!"

"Will you be quiet?" Rachel gave up and climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind her "Go home Santana"

Santana stood her ground "No, I'm on a mission"

"Will you please keep your voice down? You sound like a child"

"Yes Miss" Santana taunted.

"Don't" Rachel warned "Now will you please go" Santana didn't say anything, she just kept her feet planted and her arms crossed "Fine" Rachel sighed, she turned away, crossed the road and headed up to her apartment.

Santana quickly caught up, slipping through the doorway just before it closed, and following Rachel up the stairs "Don't get any ideas, I'm not here for the same reason a certain other girl comes here" her teasing was just a defence mechanism, if she made the other person as uncomfortable as she was then she might have the upper hand.

Rachel just ignored her as she unlocked her apartment door. She left the door open behind her, a silent invitation for Santana to come in... What did she have to lose?

"What are you doing here Santana?" Rachel sighed, dropping her purse onto the sofa as she dropped down next to it.

Santana stood in the door way "Well" she took the letter out of her pocket and walked over to the coffee table placing the single piece of paper on the table "I've got a note for you" Rachel looked at the folded note curiously and then to the Latina girl "And two duffle bags in the car, full of Quinn's things"

She picked up the letter "I'm surprised she didn't put it in an envelope" Santana chuckled silently to herself, yeah there had been an envelope, she'd thrown it away after she'd opened it to read the letter. It was just a load of mushy stuff, so she wasn't sure why she'd bothered

"I've told her you two should leave tonight... seems like you had the same idea. I can't believe you were going to leave without her, after everything, do you even care about her?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I love her!" she yelled up at the Latina

"Actually it is my business; I've made it my business. And if you _love _her why are you running?"

"Do you realise what I've done, I slept with a student, and do you know what happens to teachers who sleep with their high school students, they go to prison"

"She's 18" Santana pointed out

"So? She's still my student. And if I go to Prison, for 5 or 20 years, I will never be allowed near her again. If I run I might stand a chance and maybe given time and, if some higher being wills it to be, she might forgive me and we might have a chance. But if we run away together-"

Rachel's words got to her, filling her with yet more guilt "Okay fine, I really screwed up" Santana dropped into the arm chair opposite where Rachel sat "But there's no proof you actually slept together... from what I said... it was more like Quinn just had some major crush on you. Like its all just kids rumours, doesn't mean it's true... even if it is"

"So?" Rachel shrugged "When I got fired... I didn't even try to defend myself"

"Maybe you didn't fight it because you didn't want the trouble of a case and anyway didn't Figgins fire you to avoid a court case, because it would affect the school badly, and if you were found innocent it would cost the school money?"

"Well yeah" she shrugged again "I don't see your point"

"He couldn't have believed the rumour, if he got rid of you to avoid losing money. You could have left to avoid bad press that threatened your job and reputation. And how's this going to get reported? No one except you, her and me know the truth... well except her parents, but they don't know the full truth and they're not going to say anything" that devious smile was on her lips again

"Why wouldn't her strongly religious Father want to see me fry for influencing and poisoning his daughter?" Rachel asked

Santana eyed the woman across from her carefully "Have you already met her parents?"

"No... We haven't even had parents evening yet" she added "Why?"

"Because you sounded like you were directly quoting him" she shivered at the thought of what Quinn must have gone through when she confronted him before he hit her

"Why won't he be making sure I'm put behind bars?" the ex-teacher pushed

She looked back to her with that evil glint in her eye again "Because he's going to be facing his own court case... yours will be forgotten"

"That's ridiculous" she scoffed "What have you got in him?"

"It-It doesn't matter, anyway, he won't want to add that his daughters a lesbian with her teacher on top of all the other things mentioned, anyone will think it was his fault that he pushed her to-" Santana cut herself off before she went too far

"What did he do to her?" Rachel sat up straight, her entire body tensed in fear of what might have happened to _her_ Quinn "What's happened?"

"D-don't worry everything's fine" Santana tired to dismiss it

"You stuttered, for a second time. Something's wrong" she then felt stupid "Of course something's wrong, she never even text me when she got home. Tell me Santana, I need to know"

Santana was about to admit what she knew when she stopped herself and changed track "Hang on, you were going to run off without her, what do you care?"

"I still care" she protested "I care more about her than anything; I thought if I disappeared things would be easier for her. I love her... but she's young-" finally something hit her "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you" she snatched the letter off the table before leaving the room, she shut herself in her bedroom as she held back tears. Of course she cared, she cared very deeply, and the thought of Quinn being hurt or scared terrified her.

Quinn was the strong one in their... relationship. When Quinn had left her apartment earlier that day everything had felt light and happy and positive. But reality had set in, she couldn't drag innocent Quinn down with her. She slumped over to the bed and sat down on the edge. She switched the bed side lamp on before un-folding the paper in her hand

_Dear Rachel_

_I just wanted to let you know that everything's ok._

_Trust Santana, I know she's messed this up, but she's going to help fix it now._

_Everything is going to work out for us, once we're away from this stupid town.  
We're going to live our dreams Rachel I just know it. No matter what has happened already,  
nothing's going to tear us apart, I won't let it, simply, because I love you and we're meant to be._

_Yours forever _

_Quinn xxx_

It was such a simple note, but it meant the world. She read though it several times, taking in the words that were insignificant to anyone else who read it, but it didn't matter to Rachel, they were words from the woman who she was so sure was the love of her life.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she tried to pull herself together again.

She sniffed and wiped the few tears away before taking the advice from the page: Trust Santana. That and believe that nothing was going to tear them apart.

She stood up, not ready to face the Latina girl in her living room, but she had no choice. She left the sanctuary of her room and went back to the living room

"It took her half an hour and 4 attempts to write that stupid little note" Santana huffed, she was staring blankly across the room her arms folded as she waited for Rachel. She actually turned to look at the woman standing in the doorway "She really does love you... and I'm so sorry, really genuinely sorry for what I said"

"It doesn't matter Santana, what's done is done" she sighed "Can I get you a coffee?"

"No... thanks. I should get going anyway" she got up to make a move

"Where are you going now?" Rachel side stepped to let the Latina past

"The police station... Quinn doesn't know I'm going, but I have to, its the right thing to do"

"He hit her?" her voice trembled at the question that wasn't really a question

Santana hung her head in shame; she blamed herself for it happening, while Rachel blamed herself "She's okay" Santana was trying to reassure herself as much as the woman standing next to her "Don't go anywhere without her?"

"I-I won't... not now" she couldn't leave her knowing _just _how vulnerable she was. She felt guilty for considering leaving in the first time.

"Because she'll come looking for you, even if it's just to slap you for being so selfish" she laughed a little bit, in turn making Rachel laugh too, only because they both knew it was true. "You were being selfish though" the Latina had another stab

"You don't think it would have hurt me too? It would have killed me Santana" she bowed her head shamefully "All I could think was that I Couldn't bring Quinn down like this. I should have never encouraged it"

"Do you really regret it though?" she smirked

"No..." she sighed "How could I regret it really... I love her"

"But you were still going to slink off into the night? Did you even think about what it would do to her?" Yet another stab

"I only thought about the good it could cause for her" she mumbled

"I guess I get it..." she matched the teachers tone before shaking away the gloom "Anyway, the plan" she started towards the door again "Come on" she encouraged Rachel to follow. The shorter brunette went back into the living room to grab her purse from where she'd left it on the sofa then followed the Latina out of the apartment and down to the cars

"So what's the plan?" Rachel asked as Santana opened the trunk of her car revealing a red cheerio's duffle bag and a plain black one with a familiar sports logo on the side.

"You put these bags in the car, then wait an hour and head over to Quinn's... you do know where she lives right?"

"Yeah" Rachel nodded... not that it was any of Santana's business but she had dropped Quinn home before after one of their escapades.

"Okay, so wait an hour then drive over there, wait a few houses down, she'll meet you. Don't go too far tonight. Just in case the cops need to talk to Quinn... which is probable... we'll see" she said sadly "You got all that"

"Yep" Rachel nodded, taking one of the bags out the trunk as Santana took the other. Once the bags were in Rachel's car, alongside her own bags, they were at a point where they had nothing left to say to one another. Rachel still blamed Santana for her perfect- wait who was she kidding, half perfect life (thanks to a secret love) crumbling down around her "Santana?"

"Yeah" the student asked cautiously

"Thanks... I guess"

"For what?"

"For trying to fix this"

"No probs, teach" she tried to smirk but instead screwed her face up at her own words... yeah she couldn't completely accept it, even if she had just spoken to this woman like she was some other student she pretended she didn't like.

With nothing left to be said she left, got in her car as Rachel went back to her apartment. Of course this wasn't the end for Rachel and Lima; she'd have to be back, to sell her apartment. And if she was lucky and if Santana was right, this all might blow over, it might work out for her and Quinn.

...

And that's how Rachel found herself parked on Quinn's road waiting for the cue for the next part of their run away plan to come into action.

She'd been sat outside for about 24 and a half minutes, not that she was counting or anything, when they pulled up in front of the Fabray home; two cop cars

Rachel swallowed thickly and sunk in her seat, afraid that in the darkness she wasn't already invisible enough, as the most horrible 'what if's went through her head:

What if Santana had called the cops on her?

What if she said the teacher who slept with one of her students was waiting outside her victim's home?

What if they caught her and searched her car? The trunk was full of Quinn's things.

What if Quinn's dad hadn't hurt his daughter?

What if he had and he'd blame it on Rachel?

What if they made Quinn out to be a victim, a bigger victim than was fair to call her?

She had trusted Santana but maybe she shouldn't have.

She swallowed all fear as the police officers from one of the cars got out and walked straight up the path way through the front yard to the front door.

.

Meanwhile inside the house, Quinn was more than surprised when she heard the doorbell ring. Surely Santana wasn't planning on getting her out like this, just knock on the door and walk out. She crept toward her bedroom door and slowly turned the handle, she hovered her ear over the gap and strained her hearing to try and find out what was going on.

She heard a male and a female voice that were unfamiliar to her, then her father rattling on about how ridiculous something was.

She thought she heard the voices ask her dad to go with them. He raised his voice in protest but nothing was clear and Quinn was confused and worried. She had to know, so she left her room, there was nothing in there left for her so she didn't even look back.

Something told her this was what Santana meant when she'd just know it was time to go. So she did, slowly and cautiously but her feet were carrying her to the front door. As she got half way down the stairs she could see through the front door way her dad struggling as two police officers tried to cuff him. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she spared her mother a glance, the estranged woman stared at her blankly.

Quinn returned her expression; they had nothing to say to one another. She broke eye contact to continue forward to the open front door and freedom, where Santana had promised she'd be waiting to take her to Rachel.

She took her cell phone from where she'd left it on one of the side tables and took those last few steps towards liberation. When she stood on the porch her dad saw her, he seethed, clenched his teeth and used such nasty word to bring her down, she didn't hear them though, she didn't hear the hate the anger that flew from his mouth with the spittle.

She was free, she continued across the front yard, avoiding him and his words, words that no father no matter how shitty he was should _ever_ call his daughter, words than no human being ever deserved to be called. She let the smile slip onto her lips though; every word and every little bit of struggle to gain ground on her just added to his demise. It was all evidence the cops could use against him.

The cops in a second car got out to assist take him down, that must have been why there was a second car there at all... maybe Santana had suggested it... the Latina was pretty persuasive.

Even though this wasn't what she'd expected of this evening, it was working. She was free, with her father a few feet away, on the ground, on his stomach, face being forced into the dirt, yelling obscenities at 10:30 at night. Lights in neighbouring houses came to life, meaning they were being watched and that just added to the energising, liberating moment.

Only one thing could truly complete it. She looked down the road for Santana's car, she then looked in the other direction... she saw a car she recognised... but it wasn't Santana's. And that's when the grin spread across her face. She ran, she didn't care, everyone else was too distracted by the manic that needed 4 cops to take him down still screaming in his front yard.

She ran round to the passenger side and opened the door, the inside light came on so she could see Rachel, the only person she really wanted to see right now, or ever, looking back at her with worry and yet real hope. The door had barely closed and Rachel was already cradling the side of Quinn's face

"What has he done to you?" her voice quivered as her thumb gently stroked over the cut and the girls bruised and slightly swollen cheek

"It doesn't matter" she couldn't stop smiling "It was worth it"

Rachel shook her head, tears threatening to escape from her eyes "It shouldn't have come to this"

"It doesn't matter" she said again. As the inside car light faded out Quinn reached out, curled her hand round the back of Rachel's neck and pulled her in for a much needed kiss. It was slow, soft and simple. They couldn't get carried away here; not in front of all these nosey neighbours "I love you" Quinn breathed as she pulled her lips away but left her forehead resting on Rachel's

"I love you too" she gave Quinn another short kiss "Let's get out of here" Rachel started the engine and pulled away she turned in the road so they wouldn't have to pass the commotion, just in case it could spoil this moment for Quinn

As they turned their backs on that part of their lives Quinn heard her phone buzz, indicating she had a new text message, she quickly unlocked her phone to see it was from Santana

**Hope you like your two surprises**

She smiled down at the message then looked to her driver who was carefully keeping her eyes on the road. Yes she liked her surprises very much, the second one even more than the first. Having Rachel picking her up was the huge cherry on top.

She quickly replied: **Thank you**

She then looked back to her driver, she just couldn't stop from smiling, like it was tattooed on her lips. They drove away though the nearly silent streets of Lima, in a silent car, full of love and hope.

* * *

**Let me know what you think... Not sure if I went too far but... even if some of it was over the top I want it to work for them.**

**Not sure about how the next chapter will go... if I even write one :/ Tell me what you think.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for reviewing: RVNola546, NZgeek91, DAgron01, TrustInFaith, Jules-Day, ConfessedGleek16, grumbling177, nightcuddler, annalucindaberry, Mockingjay1234567, LionAgron, gllover22, xtreme, spezria26, welovelea1, yoyoism and HighOnFaberry.**

**Sorry its been so long!**

**Posted: 31/5/13**

* * *

Chapter 5

As soon as Santana got to school the halls were humming with the latest news. Santana had seen it all over Facebook the night before. Some of Quinn's neighbours who went to McKinley had seen the scene as Quinn's dad was arrested, and badly taken pictures and clips had been taken and commented on and shared all over the network in just a few short hours. So naturally everyone knew.

Santana was just happy that Quinn wasn't here; she imagined the uncomfortable questions she'd be bombarded with, especially with that cut and bruise to her face. With all the clips and photos Santana had wondered if anyone had even noticed Quinn, barely visible on the edge, make her escape. Everyone recording seemed too distracted by the man being tackled to the ground then dragged to the cars.

"Did you know about this?" Puck slid up next to Santana as she walked down the crowded hallways

"About what?" she just hugged her books closer and kept her sight forward. She was angry at Puck, like she was angry with herself for letting all this happen in the first place. At least she'd tried her best to fix what she'd broken.

"Did you know her dad was like that?" he asked. She wasn't sure how much he knew, she assumed she was the only one who knew about that physical violence, because she hoped last night was the only account of it.

"No... I just thought he was an ass" She really meant that. Santana then looked at the boy curiously, his head was down and his eyes distant "What's up Puckerman? You look guilty"

"I dunno... just thinking"

"Don't hurt yourself" she joked

"Shut up Lopez. I was thinkin'. What if Quinn just asked Berry for help, with her dad. Like to talk to her about it so she could get him arrested" he suggested, that wasn't an entirely stupid idea

"What are you sayin' Puckerman?" Santana asked as she stopped by her locker.

"What if..." he stalled as he glanced round them, he couldn't let people hear he actually cared "What if they weren't screwing and I just got Berry fired?"

Santana scoffed a laugh "You actually feel bad about that?"

"... I guess" he admitted after thinking shortly about it "do you think I should say sorry to Quinn?"

She almost said that Quinn wouldn't be in today, but managed to hold herself "If you think it will help" she shrugged. As she looked beyond the football captain she spied Brittany and Wheels on the opposite side of the hallway.

If Quinn could work things out with Rachel, when so much stood in her way, what was stopping her doing the same with Brittany? And right now was the perfect opportunity, everyone was distracted by Quinn and her dad, and Miss Berry being fired, for reasons that were now un clear. They wouldn't get much attention with the school abuzz with all that, would they?

After staring daggers into the back of Artie's head she noticed Brittany look at her, it was brief but she definitely looked at her. When the blue eyed girl looked back at her boyfriend with that smile all over her face Santana was reminded of why they weren't together.

Brittany was happy with Artie, and as much as Santana hated the boy she didn't want to hurt Brittany. What if she screwed up? Brittany had already told her she loved her back, but Artie was in the way and she'd have to hurt them both to get them to break up.

...

Rachel had spent most of the night awake, worrying that Santana would have the cops after her and they'd be surrounded at any moment, and she'd be dragged from Quinn. Her girlfriend tried to convince her that Santana wouldn't turn on her, not after everything they'd already been through, but that didn't help her relax any better.

Even with Quinn pressed against her like this, cuddled into her side, bare skin on skin contact she'd found it hard to sleep. She was so frightened of having Quinn taken away. She knew they shouldn't have got carried away last night too, they should have just slept, not got so intimate. Quinn had been so encouraging though, Rachel couldn't help but 'oblige'.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" she heard mumbled against her collar bone.

"Some" Rachel answered softly "How about you?" she pulled away just enough so she could turn and look into her girlfriends eyes.

"In your arms, I could sleep through anything" she sighed with contentment as she kept an arm firmly wrapped round Rachel's bare middle. She felt Rachel's body shake with a chuckle "What?"

"There you go with your smooth one liners" she sighed while inspecting the younger woman's face "Baby, your eye, we should get something for it" Quinn's lips curled slightly "What?"

"You called me baby" she tried to suppress a grin.

"Oh, ah..." she fumbled with her words and her eye contact on the blond still in her arms "I'm sorry"

"Don't be" Quinn whispered as she pusher herself up and closer to Rachel's lips to kiss her quickly "baby" she murmured mischievously.

Rachel smiled softly before it dropped again to concern "How is your face though?" her eyes searched Quinn's as if it would reveal the truth.

Quinn reached up and touched round her eye only to immediately regret it, she wrinkled her nose then regretted that when it just irritated the bruise again "Kinda itchy and when I touch it, it hurts"

"I'm not surprised" Rachel sighed regretfully "Come on, lets get up, we'll see what we can do for your eye" Rachel said as she slipped from the bed, gathering her clothes as she went

"Rach, I had ice on my face for two hours last night" Quinn moaned, mostly for the coldness she now felt on one side from Rachel's absence "All I need is a shower... a long shower with some company" she looked to the foot of the bed where Rachel was crouched, head only in sight as Rachel tried to re-clothe.

"No" Rachel told her sternly, with an attempt at an equally stern glare "you can have a shower but be quick. I want us out of here soon so we can get on the road" her anxiety was hardly subtle

Quinn couldn't help herself though "You're so hot when you're being bossy"

"Is this funny to you?" Rachel hissed, making Quinn just roll her eyes. She held the bed sheet to her front as she sat up and shuffled towards the foot of the bed

"Rach, no it's not funny. But I'm just really excited, we're free" she said softly down at Rachel

"We're not free yet. And we've got so much to do once we get there. I need to find a job and we need to find you a school-" Quinn pressed a finger to Rachel's lips to gently silence her

"I know, we need to find a place to live and jobs-"

"No you're finishing school first" Rachel jumped in

"I know but that doesn't mean I can't get a weekend job. But we don't need to worry about that this minute, let's just get there first, yeah?"

"Okay" Rachel nodded, trying to sooth the ripples of nervousness she felt in her stomach "Get dressed, or we'll never get anywhere"

"Fine" Quinn sighed, rolling away and over to where her clothes from last night had ended up.

Mostly dressed, Rachel got up off the floor and found her toothbrush on her bag before heading to the bathroom. Just before she stepped through the doorway she asked "Did you get any messages last night?"

Quinn rolled over to reach her phone off the bedside table. She sighed with relief when there were no icons indicating missed calls, voice messages or texts "No, no messages" Quinn let her know. No one breaking down the door and tearing them apart like Rachel had feared.

"Why are you still smiling like that?" Rachel asked suspiciously as she stepped back into the room and noticed Quinn still smiling to herself as she slowly got dressed.

"Just so happy" she shrugged

It didn't take them long until they were ready to move on.

"Are you ready?" Rachel asked as she finished zipping up her overnight bag that sat at the foot of the bed. The rest of her and Quinn's things were still in the trunk of her car.

Quinn glanced round them, making sure she hadn't dropped or forgotten anything "Yeah I think so" she then looked back to Rachel to see the woman already smiling at her. She felt it too, this felt like the big step, last night was a test and this was it. "In a few hours we'll be out of Ohio, on our way to New York city and freedom, where we can live every minute how we want"

"Together" Rachel tried and failed to suppress a stupid hopeful grin

"Yeah, together, forever" maybe it sounded childish to say that, this was no fairy story, but they lived on hope right now and the belief that they could make it. Not just to New York City but that they could make a life for themselves together, no Student Teacher line left to blur, they could just be.

"... Rachel?" Quinn asked timidly as she stepped round the bed and took Rachel's hands in her own

"Yes Quinn" Rachel asked worried as she looked up into hazel eyes with concern

"I love you" A smile tugged at Quinn's lips as if she was embarrassed to have been so worried to say I love you in an already fluffy moment like this.

Rachel felt the last of the tension leave her body "I love you too"

...

They'd been driving for 3 to 4 hours, they guessed. The journey had been relaxed, they kept the radio off and would just talk, talk about everything, sometimes their plans, sometimes milder things, stories of their pasts they hadn't already shared. Occasionally their hands would meet across the console and they'd savour and take comfort in that comfort.

The peace was disturbed when Quinn's phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket and read the screen that let her know who was calling "It's Santana"

"Answer it" Rachel encouraged quickly

She hit the receive button "Hello?"

"_So you and Berry are the talk of the school" _That was Santana's opening line, If Rachel strained her ears she could just about hear the girl on the other end of the line. She wanted to tell Quinn to put it on speaker but this was a discussion between Quinn and her friend, even in Santana was giving them instructions to head back so Quinn could be interviewed by police, Quinn could tell her that she didn't need to hear it from her old student herself.

"No surprise there then" Quinn sighed as she started to play with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"_But its not exactly how you think"_ Quinn could hear the smirk in Santana's voice, the 'I know info that you want' smirk _"Everyone's now thinking you and Berry weren't screwing and that you went to her for help with the, ah, abuse"_

Quinn sat up straighter in her seat "Really, that's good news right?"

"_Well yeah, means you guys didn't do anything wrong, well people don't think you did"_

"But we didn't do anything wrong, is it wrong to love someone..." Quinn's voice calmed and her words trailed off as Rachel placed a hand gently on her knee and gave it a soft squeeze.

"_No I mean like the law and shit"_ Santana excused with the usual attitude, she couldn't possibly be nice even at a time like this.

"Where are you anyway?" Quinn asked.

"_Well you two should know its lunch time already, so I'm in my car. Seemed like the only place no one would be able to listen in, can't have them all knowing the truth now can we?"_ Quinn just held onto the fact her old best friend acknowledged there was another person with her right now.

Quinn decided to move on to other important points "How did things go last night after I was gone?"

"_Something kinda weird happened. I'd say guess but you'll never get it" _There was that know it all smirk tone again.

"What is it?" The runaway blonde was too anxious to play a guessing game anyway. Rachel's presence reminded her though to stay calm, at least for Santana's cooperation, the girl did help them get away together.

"_Your mom talked to the cops" _She didn't really need Santana to tell her that, it was obvious her mom would have to as some point.

She felt her stomach drop and a chill run down her spine "Oh great, how quickly did she get him out of that cell?"

"_She didn't get him out, she kept him locked up"_ Okay that was a surprise.

"You're joking, right?" Quinn scoffed

"_Nope" _She almost laughed _"I came out of the interview room, by the way it had one of those one way mirrors in it, totally freaked me out. Anyway when I came out I saw Judes there, coming out of another room. We got talking while waiting for the cops to say we could go and then I drove her home... yeah that was weird"_

"What did she say?"

"_Basically she stuck to the truth, said he hit you, said he's been abusive before... please tell me it wasn't bad"_ Now Santana did sound human

"He... once or twice but just one strike and..." Quinn tried to wave it off, while the driver just started to feel sick. All that talk when they'd started this about how Quinn said they'd burn her like a witch for wishing for a different life, like her art and photography interests. She thought it was just poetic dramatics... but it was closer to the truth than she liked to think.

"_You should have told me"_ Santana sighed down the phone

"Honestly I didn't think that much could actually get him arrested" Quinn mumbled

"_Hell Quinn, I would have cut his balls off if I'd known"_ That made Quinn chuckle a little

"That's why I didn't tell you, you'd be locked up too" She told her friend with sisterly affection "So do _they_ need to speak to me?"

"_No"_ Santana said simply _"At least not yet, as far as I know. If I hear something I'll let you know"_

"Thanks San" She breathed a sigh of relief

"_No probs Q"_ she shrugged though no one was there to see it _"I'll keep you posted"_

"You leaving me already?" she asked with a pout jokingly

"_Yeah... um someone just saw me in the car, sh-they're coming over, I gotta go"_ she mumbled, Quinn guessed she was trying to hide the fact she was talking on the phone

"San!" Quinn raised her voice before her friend could go.

"_What?"_ Santana almost snapped

"Just tell Britt how you feel, be selfish for once" despite the Latina's fiery personality when Quinn thought about it the girl cold be quite selfless, especially lately.

"_Thanks Q"_ the phone line then went dead.

"Is everything okay?" Rachel asked while Quinn put her phone in her pocket

"Yeah everything's great" she smiled at the side of Rachel's head, the driver herself too cautious to tear her eyes off the road ahead of them, but she did reach her free hand across the car to quickly find Quinn's.

...

A Few Months later

"Hey baby I'm home" Quinn dropped her keys into the bowl on the small table by the front door, slipped her shoes off and dropped her bag next to them on the floor.

"In the kitchen" she followed her girlfriends voice to the room she mentioned "How was your day?"

"Tiring" she sighed as she wrapped her arms round the shorter woman

"You don't have to work on top of school you know" Rachel abandoned whatever cooking utensil she was using at the stove and turned in Quinn's arms to greet her with a kiss "Especially with finals coming up"

"I know but I want to work, with college next year-"

"We'll get a student loan" Rachel told her quickly

"Or I could take a gap year" Quinn suggested

"No, I don't want you doing that because that gap year might become permanent, and I want you to succeed"

"I know, I've heard the speech" Quinn sighed, dropping her head to Rachel's shoulder. Her eyes caught on what Rachel had been working on "What are you cooking?" it didn't mean to come out with a slight chuckle

"Um" Rachel looked back at the various pots and pans "Lets say its a surprise, in case it doesn't turn out how I wanted"

"Sounds great" she kissed Rachel on the cheek

"You go sit, I'll be through in a minute" Rachel told her before returning her full attention to their dinner. They'd made an agreement that on the weekends at least the first person in would take care of dinner, and that was usually take out on a Saturday like this day, but Rachel decided to do something special for her girlfriend.

Rachel was always being so good to her, especially when she tried to make a sacrifice for the older woman. She felt Rachel made sacrifices for them, but she wasn't allowed to. She'd even offered to pawn her camera to get them some money but Rachel wouldn't let her. That camera had taken her forever to save up for because she didn't even bother asking her parents for one, or for some money towards one. So there was no way Rachel was going to let her trade it for money for them, they could get money other ways.

That's why tonight Quinn was happy to have some exciting news for Rachel, she'd wait until Rachel was sitting though. She grabbed her laptop, another item Rachel wouldn't let her trade in, and switched it on. While she was waiting for it to start up Rachel joined her with a drink for her girlfriend.

"So anything interesting happen today?" Rachel asked casually as she sat down next to her. Quinn put her laptop on the floor and crossed her legs as she turned in her seat

"Well actually, you know how Saturday is open mic night at that coffee house" Rachel just nodded, yes she was aware of that since Quinn had been working there every Saturday and Friday night since shortly after they arrived in the city "Well I have a headache from that, but for the Friday night permanent line up, one of the regulars dropped out"

"Oh what happened?" Rachel leaned in interested

"She got snapped up by an agent, she wasn't even that good I swear" Quinn scoffed "Anyway, Tony, my boss said he's be looking for someone to take her place, and I said I might know someone"

"Who?"

"Really Rach?" Quinn furrowed her brow "You, silly"

Rachel's expression dropped and she leant away "No Quinn"

"Come on, all you'd have to do is sing something for him and it's yours, the pay isn't great but you'd get tips and they can be pretty great for singers. I know you've got two part time jobs already but you have a pocket on Friday nights, I work there those hours anyway so we'd get to spend some more time together" She's been rehearsing this speech in her head on the walk and short subway ride home to their apartment "I know you, you'll get seen by some scouting agent or director and before you know it Broadway here you come"

Rachel shook her head and went to stand up "It doesn't work like that"

Quinn grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to fall against her "Come on Rach, you don't need some fancy academy years ago to tell you when and teach you to be good enough. You're so amazing you can do it all on pure talent alone" Rachel, nearly sitting on Quinn's lap, went to say something but Quinn pressed a finger over the brunettes soft lips "And don't say you can't sing in front of people anymore, because you sang in front of me when you were in the auditorium all those times, and you sing in the shower even when I'm in there with you"

Rachel's cheeks flushed at that reminder but her expression remained stern. She took Quinn's hand and pulled it away from her mouth "Please Quinn, just drop this. I need to go check on dinner"

With sigh Quinn just let Rachel go. She'd try again once she'd let the idea sit with Rachel for an hour, maybe a day. She took her laptop off the floor and logged in, she then went straight to her email.

It wasn't long before a new email caught her eye. An Email from Santana wasn't unusual but an email with 'YOU GOTTA SEE THIS' in the subject box was a little unusual.

She quickly opened the email and clicked on the link she found inside. It took her to a news website local to Lima and its surrounding towns.

The Headline read: **Mother Begs For Daughter To Return Home**. Her eyes widened when she scrolled down a little and found a picture of her mother holding a picture of her "Oh my god" she shrieked as she scrolled down further and began to read "Oh my god!"

"What's wrong?" Rachel was immediately back in the room and rushing to her side

With eyes still unbelieving and her voice verging on angry she read the article in front of her out loud. _"Quinn Fabray, 18, a senior student of William McKinley High School in Lima Ohio has been missing for over 10 weeks. Her mother Judy Fabray pleads for her daughter to return to her_

"_Mrs Fabray said that her daughter ran away after a family dispute, one which later investigated resulted in the arrest of Russell Fabray, Judy's husband and Quinn's father. The last contact made by Quinn was her video interview, the tape for which could not be released to us" _

'_W_ell duh', Rachel thought. Both women were amazed however that they let Quinn complete her interview via webcam.

"_Judy Fabray had this to say 'Quinn, please know I just want you home safe, we can sort things out and you and I can become a family again-'._ Is she kidding!" she squeaked unintentionally "That woman wants me home? She didn't even say a word as I left she just stared at me, and now she's playing battered and alone mother to get me back!" she looked up to Rachel for some sort of support

"It's gonna be okay" Rachel said softly, meanwhile her heart was beating like crazy in her chest and her head was trying to be reasonable. She sat down on the sofa next to Quinn

"Oh god" Quinn face palmed "what if people here see this and tell the news people where I am, what if they find us?" she looked straight to Rachel again

Rachel's brain had finally engaged "Calm down Quinn" she wrapped an arm around her girlfriend as she looked at the report in front of them and saw the photo of the woman Quinn had called mother "it's a small news report, local to Lima and the surrounding towns, I don't think anyone here will read this page, and that picture of you she's holding isn't even a great one, and it's a really bad angle"

"Maybe I should dye my hair, or get funny fake glasses or something, or change my name" she rushed out her ideas

Rachel chuckled lightly "I think that would be more obvious to your current school associates" she felt Quinn lean against her a little more and let out a big sigh "I'm sure everything will be okay... but maybe you should call your mom, just to let her know you're okay and safe. You know how to withhold your phone number right"

Now it was Quinn's turn to chuckle at Rachel's not so subtle last comment "Yeah I know how" with Rachel's reasoning settling her she realised she could use this to her advantage "How about I'll call my mom if you audition to sing at the coffee house"

"Quinn" Rachel went to pull away But Quinn held on, wrapping her arms round the older woman "Come on Quinn"

"What? The food might burn who cares, this is more important"

"I'll think about it" Rachel half conceded which at least got Quinn to let go so she could go check on their food again. Quinn quickly abandoned her laptop and followed

"That's not good enough, calling my mom is a big deal, especially as I promised myself I'd never have to speak to her again"

Rachel kept her back to Quinn while she tired not to burn anything, including herself "I had the courtesy to call my father to tell him I was alive, and now we talk regularly"

"Yes but it I have constant contact with my mother she'll know we're together" Quinn tried to reason

Rachel tensed a little "Why would she know?" she tried to act nonchalantly

"What if she visited?" the blonde pushed "What if I couldn't help but tell her about the thing that makes me the happiest person on the planet" she stepped up behind Rachel and swept the hair back off Rachel's shoulder to expose her neck

"So I'm a thing now?" Quinn imagined Rachel rose an eyebrow with that question

"You know what I mean" She leant in and kissed Rachel's neck making her shiver

"I really make you that happy?" she smiled and leant back against the taller woman

"Yeah... and I'd be happy forever if you'd consider singing at the coffee house" her two arms wrapped themselves round Rachel's smaller frame "It could be your start Rachel. Just think that coffee house isn't far from time square, after that first night you stun some people who just thought they were there to see some second rate singing, then afterwards we'll go to Time square and you can just soak it all up. Seeing as I don't think you did enough last time" she teased lightly

"Okay" Rachel said softly, not sure if it was Quinn's words or gentle touch right now that was making her cave to her plan

"Okay? As in-"

"If I have time, I'll stop by and see if the position is still open" She sighed "And if I do that you call your mother"

"Deal" she kissed her cheek "How long is dinner going to be?"

"Not long, are you hungry?"

"Yeah... but tired too... might get an early night" she planted another kiss under Rachel's ear "hoping you'll join me"

"Quinn" Rachel sighed "What have I done to you?" she chuckled

"Made me happy"

* * *

**Sorry again for the wait**

**I'll probably do another chapter if you're interested and hopefully it won't take as long to post. **

**Anyway let me know what you think...**


End file.
